Cherry Limeade

I have loved Cherry Limeade since I was a kid.  In my hometown of Chandler, OK, there was a drive-in food place, Sprague's Drive Inn where they made the best Cherry Limeade.  One summer after my mom had surgery, I would frequently walk down there to get her a Cherry Limeade.  Braum's makes a pretty good one, but (maybe it's just a fond childhood memory) not like Sprague's!  I have loved my Soda Stream Soda maker since I got it and have loved experimenting with recipes.  See my previous post for a great Cream Soda Recipe I got from the Martha Stewart Show.  So, I got the idea to make my own Cherry Limeade!  The first one I made was with carbonated water, maraschino cherries and juice and fresh lime.  It was pretty good.  But this one, made with fresh cherries is the BOMB.  So, if you like Cherry Limeade, here it is:

Start with Cold Water and Use your Soda Stream Soda Maker to carbonate the water.

8 ounces Carbonated Water
Juice of One Fresh Lime
1/8 cup Cherry Syrup (recipe to follow)

Put the lime juice and one half the lime into the carbonated water and add the Cherry Syrup.  Stir, add your ice and enjoy!

Notes:  I found the Cherry Syrup to not make it quite sweet enough, so I added 1/2 teaspoon Splenda.  I think that it is a preference how sweet/sour you want yours, so don't be afraid to experiment.  You could also top it off with a maraschino cherry to add flavor, sweetness and color.

Cherry Syrup

2 cups fresh cherries (any variety) 
1/4 cup water 
3 tbsp. granulated sugar (I used organic turbinado sugar)

Insert a small paring knife into each cherry and cut around the hard center pit until you can pop it out, then discard the pit. (or use a cherry pitter) Wash your hands immediately with soap and warm water to prevent the cherry juice from staining your hands.

Add 2 cups pitted cherries into a food processor. Puree by holding down the "On" button for roughly three-second intervals until the cherries are completely blended, with no visible lumps. Continuously holding down the "On" button may make the cherries blend unevenly.

Place a large saucepan on the stove, then pour in the pureed cherries. Stir in 1/4 cup water and 3 tbsp. granulated sugar. Heating sugar and water produces a thick base known as a simple syrup.

Turn the stove to "high" and heat until the mixture starts to boil. Lower the heat to "medium" and cook the mixture for approximately 10 minutes so it can thicken.

Allow the syrup to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until it's at room temperature. Pour into a jar and serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to a week for the best results.

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