The Sweet Melissa Baking Book: Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

• 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup very hot water
• 23 cup sugar
• 1 14 cups fresh lemon juice (the juice from 4-5 large lemons)
• 4 12 cups cold sparkling water or 4 12 cups seltzer water
• granulated sugar, optional for rimming the glass
• 1 sprig of fresh lemon balm, optional to serve (melissa)

1. To make the strawberry syrup, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, water and salt in the bowl of a food processor or blender.
2. Puree until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible.
4. To make the lemonade, combine the hot water and sugar in a pitcher.
5. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
6. Mix in the lemon juice and water.
7. Stir in the strawberry puree.
8. To serve, rub a wedge of lemon or one of the spent lemon halves around the rim of a glass and then dip in sugar.
9. Fill with ice if desired and then lemonade.
10. Garnish with sliced lemon or strawberries or sprigs of fresh lemon balm.
11. Serve immediately.

fresh strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, cold water, salt, very hot water, sugar, lemon juice, cold sparkling water, sugar, lemon balm

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/the-sweet-melissa-baking-book-sparkling-strawberry-lemonade-458279 (may not work)