Pretty in Pink Blueberry Lemonade

The first time I came across pink blueberry lemonade, I loved it because it was so pretty for a drink. I loved the pastel pink color of the drink and the little blueberries floating in it. It is even more interesting that the pink color of the lemonade is contributed by the blueberries!

This pink blueberry lemonade is very easy to make and would make a lovely party treat. All you need is 4 ingredients, 3 of them are the basic ingredients for making lemonade, i.e. lemon juice, sugar, and water. And the fourth ingredient is simply fresh blueberries.

Blueberries are very rich in color. When heated up, they take on a deep purple color and this color, when diluted, takes on a very pretty pastel peachy pink tone.

And that is exactly how this pink blueberry lemonade drink is made. It starts with the basic lemonade recipe, and to this, you add a tiny bit of cooked blueberries. I say a tiny bit because you literally need only about 6 blueberries to get the lovely pink color for 2 liters of lemonade. The peachy pink color from the blueberries when mixed with lemon juice in the lemonade, turns into a lovely pastel pink. To this, you add some fresh blueberries and ice cubes to make a refreshingly pretty pink blueberry lemonade. Easy right?

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How to Make Pink Blueberry Lemonade

Ingredients

• Lemon juice
• Sugar
• Drinking water (chilled)
• Blueberries
• Ice cubes (optional)

Mixing the drink

• Start by juicing your lemons. Before cutting them to juice, it is good to roll them over your kitchen table or countertop. This helps to soften the lemon skin and loosen the pulp inside. .
• Strain and measure the juice into a measuring glass. Set it aside.
• Next, make the blueberries sugar syrup. Measure 200ml drinking water into a small. Add the sugar and blueberries and cook these over low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the blueberries turn soft. Press them with a fork to release as much juice and color as possible. Set aside to cool completely.
• Strain the blueberry syrup into a pitcher. Add lemon juice to it.
• Top up with the remaining 1300ml water and stir well.
• Keep the lemonade chilled until ready to serve.
• Add ice cubes and fresh blueberries before serving.

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Notes

Can the amount of blueberries in the lemonade be increased?

• Blueberries, when cooked into a compote or even syrup, turn into a deep purple color. This color is achieved when the blueberries are in a concentrated form.
• When diluted, it still remains purple but becomes less intense. And when it is continuously diluted, it will reach a peachy pink tone.
• In coming up with this recipe, I realized that to achieve the pretty pastel pink for the lemonade drink, I only required a tiny amount of cooked blueberries. In fact, for a 350ml individual serving of this pink blueberry lemonade, you only need one cooked blueberry.
• Adding more blueberries into the drink will turn it into a maroonish color which is far off from the pink that is intended for this recipe. Hence, if you wish to add more blueberries, it is best to add the berries uncooked. This way, you do not disturb the pink tone of the drink and get to enjoy the full, fresh blueberries along with the drink.

Can frozen blueberries be used to make this pink lemonade drink?

• Yes, you can. Thaw the fruits first, and then drain the liquid. Cook them as you would the fresh blueberries and use them in the drink.

Can sugar be replaced with other natural sweeteners?

• The highlight of this pink blueberry lemonade is it's color. The lovely pink hue is achieved by mixing a tiny bit of cooked blueberries with lemon juice. Since white sugar turns clear when dissolved, it does not affect the pink hue that is achieved by mixing the blueberries with lemon juice.
• Using sweeteners like honey and brown sugar will alter this pink hue because these sweeteners on their own give the lemonade an amber color.
• I have seen some lemonade recipes that use agave, stevia, and even maple syrup (not my recipes) but I have personally not used any of these in my lemonade drink. Hence, I am not sure how they would impact the final color of this pink blueberry lemonade if used.

Is there any other way to dissolve the sugar than stirring it into the lemonade?

• I prefer to stir my sugar in the water to dissolve it. It does not take more than a few minutes for the sugar to dissolve and it's easy.
• The other option for dissolving sugar is by making a simple syrup with it. Simply add the sugar and about 300ml or 400ml water into a pot. Heat these up over a low flame. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir the sugar to dissolve it faster. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the syrup from heat and let it cool down to room temperature before mixing in the lemon juice, blueberries, and the remaining water.

How long does this pink blueberry lemonade last?

• You can keep this pink lemonade drink refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.
• It is best stored in a covered jug. If you like your lemonade with ice cubes, add them right before serving. This will avoid the lemonade from getting too diluted as the ice cubes will melt even when kept in the refrigerator.
• Also, add the fresh blueberries right before serving.

Can you make this pink lemonade with lemonade concentrate?

• Yes, you can.
• If you use store-bought concentrate, follow the direction on the bottle and make 2 liters of lemonade.
• You can also make your own lemonade concentrate with my frozen lemonade concentrate recipe. Add 500ml of the lemonade concentrate into a 2-liters pitcher. Add 1500ml water and stir. Remove about 100ml of the lemonade drink into a small pot. Add the blueberries and cook until they turn soft. Strain the blueberries-colored lemonade into the pitcher and stir well to mix. Chill and serve as usual.

Can frozen lemon juice be used to make this pink lemonade?

• Yes, it certainly can.
• You can squeeze the lemon juice ahead of time and freeze it in either individual sizes (in tablespoon measures) or in larger pitcher serving sizes (for example in 150ml sizes). This way, you save time on squeezing fresh lemon juice every time you want to make the lemonade. You can either wait for the juice to melt before adding to the water and sugar, or simply pop the frozen cubes or blocks into your glass or pitcher. Let the juice melt completely before adding the blueberries and serving.

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Pink Blueberry Lemonade Recipe

Here is the full printable version of my pink blueberry lemonade recipe.

And that's that. My pretty pink blueberry lemonade recipe.

Here are my other posts you might want to check out:

• Classic Lemonade Recipe - 3 Easy Methods for the Perfect Lemonade
• Honey Lemonade
• Frozen Lemonade Concentrate
• Lemonade Popsicles
• Lemonade Sorbet

Enjoy!