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This Brazilian Limeade is the perfect refreshing summer beverage. It is usually found at Brazilian steakhouses, but you can make it at home!
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Believed to have been invented by a street vendor in Brazil, this super sweet, super refreshing concoction is heaven to anyone who loves lime juice! The beverage gets its unique creamy flavor from the sweetened condensed milk that is added to the drink, so it isn’t just sweet! This liquid is very sour because of the rinds of the limes are included in the libation. A perfect summer drink and loaded with Vitamin C, one sip won’t be enough! You’ll get hooked on the perfectly sweet, sour, and creamy flavors of this treat!
Ingredients in Brazilian Limeade
- Limes
- Water
- Sugar
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Ice
Picking and Preparing the Limes
Picking the perfect lime is essential! First of all, you want an organic lime because the entire lime is going in the blender. Even though you will clean and scrub the limes with dish soap before using, it is better to use organic. Next, you can tell a lot about a lime by the way it looks. The skin should be lighter, closer to light green or yellow. These limes are sweeter and riper. A green lime should stay on the vine! Further, look for a heavy lime. These are also more ripe and are juicer, too! When you squeeze it, it should give just a little bit. Still firm, with a little squeeze of give in there. Finally, scratch the skin, it should smell distinctly lime-ish. Accordingly, limes that don’t smell like limes aren’t ripe yet.
Tips for Serving Brazilian Limeade
- Serve immediately – even 20 minutes after blending the pith of the lime can start to make the drink bitter
- Best served cold – use lots of ice
- Adjust sugar to your liking
- Lime garnishes- use lime zest, cut up limes, or even whole limes to decorate your pitcher. Just place limes inside!
- Popsicles- some people use popsicle molds to create a frozen version of their favorite treat!
- Alcohol- for some, it’s a fun twist to add a little alcohol
- Make it dairy free- try using coconut milk instead
Recipe Tip
Do not over-blend the limes. You don’t want too much of the pith (the white part of the lime peel) to get blended up. The pith is very bitter.
Frequently Asked Questions about Brazilian Limeade
It comes down to the translation of lime in Portuguese, limão is the word for lime, so it’s preferred to call the drink limonada. Limonada translated to English is lemonade.
Although the bitterness is part of the flavor and tradition. But, try removing the peels, you could remove some of the bitterness.
This is normal because of the different ingredients used. Just give it a stir.
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How to Make Brazilian Limeade
Brazilian Limeade
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 4 limes
- 3 cups water
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- ice for serving
- extra limes for garnish
Instructions
- Scrub limes with dish soap, rinse, and dry. Cut off the ends and discard. Cut remaining lime into 1/8ths.
- Place lime slices into blender with water. Pulse a few times for a few seconds. There should still be large pieces of lime peel. Do not over-blend.
- Pour mixture into a pitcher through a fine mesh sieve. Press the lime pieces down using a spoon or spatula to press all the juice out. Discard lime pieces.
- Pour the lime and water mixture back into the blender. Add sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Blend until creamy and frothy. Taste and add more sugar to taste.
- Pour over ice and serve immediately. Garnish with extra lime slices.
Notes
- Make sure to serve immediately. Even 20 minutes after blending the drink can become bitter.
- Add more sugar or sweetened condensed milk to your liking.
- Add ice to the blender with the sugar and sweetened condensed milk for a fun blended drink!
