Pomegranate Mint Lemonade

This drink is incredibly refreshing and perfect for a hot day. It was inspired by the fact that I had a really ancient pomegranate lurking in the bottom of my fridge. I was only aware of its existence because I would occasionally come across it while searching for something else. I was too lazy to use it, but felt kind of guilty about throwing it out, and so it lingered. Months went by and then, one Thursday, my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box arrived containing a bunch of mint and a lemon. And thus Pomegranate Mint Lemonade was born. 

I imagined making a batch of this lemonade, then stashing it in the fridge and sipping on it during the warm days that were to come. But no such thing happened. It proved to be more delicious than expected, so along with my housemates, I finished it off before it was even cool. We filled big glasses with ice cubes and poured the still-warm lemonade over the top, which gave it a beautiful color. 

I own a four-pint pitcher, so all of my measurements were based around that. Feel free to make whatever quantity works for you. 

4 pints water

1 lemon

1 bunch mint

1 pomegranate

2 tbsp white sugar

Bring the water to a gentle simmer in a big pan. Tear up the mint and throw it all in, even the stems. Chop the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the pan, then throw the rinds in too. Likewise, chop the pomegranate in half, give it a good squeeze so that plenty of the juice ends up in the pan, then throw the remainder of the pomegranate in too. Next, add two tablespoons of sugar, or substitute another sweetener if you prefer. Simmer for ten minutes. Then, turn of the heat and strain the liquid through a sieve (cheesecloth would work well too). 

The result should be very refreshing, a little bit fruity, and not too sweet. Allow to cool and serve with ice. Or, if you feel like it, try it in cocktails. 

This recipe makes 8 servings of 8 fl oz. Each serving contains approximately 20 calories. 

Thank you to housemates Stephen and Jackie for assistance with the photo shoot.