I know that here in the Deep South iced tea (preferably sweetened) is the summertime beverage of choice but my favorite thirst quencher is lemonade. Yellow, pink, sour, sweet I don’t care, I love it any way you prepare it. I have three lemon trees in my back yard. Two are dwarf Meyer lemons, which is a cross between a sweet orange and a Lisbon lemon, and one is a Ponderosa lemon. The Ponderosa bears huge lemons, often bigger than a grapefruit. I got this tree last year and after it bloomed I pinched off all the fruit so the tree would have time to grow a little and be big enough to hold the fruit, so this year I am hoping for a bumper crop to reward my patience. Also growing in my backyard is a lime and a blood orange, but more on them in a different column. On a blazing hot day when I am outside, nothing works as well as a glass of cold water, plenty of ice, lemon juice and a little Splenda.

If things go as planned you should be able to find these next three recipes in abundance at my house this summer. This first recipe is an all-time favorite and a breeze to whip up.

Lemonade Pie

4 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (the pink is very pretty)

1 9-inch graham cracker crust

Blend the ice cream and lemonade concentrate in a medium bowl until well blended. Spoon quickly into your crust and place in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours. I cut this with a knife I have dipped in hot water. And then I put a little bit of whipped cream on top with a lemon twist.

I know the worst part about making lemonade is juicing the lemons. If you own a stand or electric juicer you are in luck. But what I use is a handheld wooden juicer or reamer. You simply cut off one end of lemon and over a strainer ream out all of the pulp and juice. And I found this next recipe on the Internet about two years ago so when I juice lemons, I do a big batch and make this syrup to have on hand. It’s also very good mixed with soda water for a fizzy drink.

Lemon Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup boiling water

1 lemon of zest

1 1/2 cups lemon juice

Dissolve your sugar in hot water. Take it off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest. Once it has cooled, place in the refrigerator. To make a glass of lemonade simply mix 1/4 cup of the syrup with 3 / 4 cups of the cold water and serve.

I know you have seen this next recipe already bottled in stores but I promise you fresh is better. I got this recipe from, Lynn Tolley who is Jack Daniels great-grand niece. She owns the original Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House Restaurant in Lynchburg, Tenn. We met at a Southern Foods Symposium and this was served at a dinner they held.

Lynchburg Lemonade

1 part Jack Daniels Whiskey

1 part Triple Sec

1 part sweet and sour mix

4 parts Sprite

Mix well, serve over ice and garnish with a lemon slice and a cherry.

Christina Hall can be reached by e-mail at christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com.