Slushy Limonana, aka frozen mint lemonade, is the most refreshing drink you’ll ever taste – with the best texture and the greatest punch of bright flavor!
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If you’ve been following along this summer, here on my blog, as well as on my instagram page, you’ll remember that I’ve been sharing lots of drinks this summer. I’ve declared this the Summer of Drinks, and I’m absolutely loving it. I’m kinda thinking…shall we keep this going, past the summer? I’m imagining warming drinks like spiced apple cider in the fall. A cozy winter cup of hot cocoa. Your favorite coffee shop drinks, made at home. Stuff like that.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you!
Anyway, let’s get back to today’s drink. From the minute I announced my #SummerofDrinks, I was bombarded with requests, over and over, for one specific drink: The Perfect Slushy Limonana.
If you’re not familiar with this israeli favorite, it’s one of the most refreshing drinks you’ll ever enjoy: a slushy blend of lemonade and mint. It screams summer in the best way possible, and it’ll make any day about 500% better.
The challenge with making the slushy limonana, as with the slushy iced coffee recipe I recently posted, is getting a perfect, creamy texture. I’ve seen so many photos of limonana where there’s a clear distinction between the icy part and the liquid. That’s no fun to drink, right? No, I knew I needed a recipe with a clear and cohesive texture all the way through, where you could drink a delicious and refreshing slushy drink, without the pesky separation problem.
The other issue that I faced when creating the ultimate slushy limonana recipe is that I wanted the flavor to be bold and strong. Punch you in the face kind of flavor, ya know?
Well friends, I solved both problems with one simple solution. Instead of blending lemonade, mint and ice, I blended the whole lemon. Peel and all. The result is not only a creamy, perfect texture, but an intense and refreshing flavor for the drink.
If you’re one of those folks who always orders limonana when you see it on a restaurant menu, you’re definitely going to want to try this recipe. If you’re in need of a delightfully refreshing drink, you’re going to want to try this recipe. If you’re a lemon lover or a mint lover, or both, you’ll certainly want to try this recipe. And even if you have never tried limonana before, let me just assure you, you’ll absolutely love this recipe, so give it a try, ASAP.
FAQ about the Slushy Limonana Recipe:
(Scroll past the FAQ to get to the recipe)
Can I use prepared lemonade instead of the lemon and lemon juice?
As explained above, the secret to both the fabulous texture and the strong taste is blending the whole lemon into this drink, so I definitely don’t recommend skipping that!
Can I make this drink into a cocktail/alcoholic drink?
You can and you should! It’ll add a great flavor for the adults. You can simply stir your favorite alcohol into the completed drink, to taste. (This is also the best method if children will be enjoying the drink as well, because you can leave some without alcohol and add it to some.)
For a stronger alcoholic content, you can replace some of the water with liquor of choice, and blend it all together.
For this drink, my choice of alcohol to add would be tequila, gin, rum or vodka, but feel free to play around with your favorites!
Can I make this recipe without a blender?
Unfortunately, this drink really relies on a blender for it to work. However, you can definitely add whole mint leaves to a glass of lemonade (homemade or store bought) and let the lemonade sit for a little while to absorb the mint flavor.
Can I use a food processor instead of a blender?
You sure can! Use the “s” blade and puree well until completely combined and creamy.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Because of the slushy texture, this drink really needs to be made as fresh as possible. While it won’t be perfect, you have a few options:
You can store the slushy limonana in the fridge after preparing it. It won’t last indefinitely, but it will definitely give you some extra time before you need to serve it. This is a great option if you’re making the drink for a party or something similar.
You can also freeze the slushy limonana. It not keep its texture, but rather, it will freeze solid. The best way to defrost this is to place it in the fridge a few hours ahead of time, and let it defrost slowly. If it’s shabbos or a holiday, try to stir and break it up before serving. If it’s not, you can reblend the drink prior to serving.
Additionally, note that if you freeze it with alcohol, the alcohol content will prevent the drink from freezing fully. So if you’ll be adding alcohol, do so before freezing, instead of after.
Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh?
While the drink texture will work with bottled juice, the flavor of freshly squeezed juice is about one thousand times better, so I strongly encourage you to use that, if you can!
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Slushy Limonana {Frozen Mint Lemonade}
Ingredients
- juice of 2 lemons (1/4-1/3 cup)
- 1 whole lemon, washed well
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 1/4 cups water, divided
- 3 cups ice
Instructions
- Combine lemon juice, lemon, sugar, mint and half a cup of water in the bowl of a blender. Blend for a long time (at least 2 minutes) until the mixture is very smooth.
- Add ice and remaining water. Continue to blend for a long time (about 2-3 minutes), until the drink is completely smooth and has a great texture. If you're not sure if it's been blended enough, blend it longer, just to be sure.
- If using, add alcohol of your choice just before serving. (See FAQ for details.
Notes
Plan Ahead: This drink is best enjoyed fresh, but will last about an hour in the fridge. If you want to make it further ahead of time, see FAQ for detailed freezer options.
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Thanks for stopping by! I hope you try this recipe – I am confident that you will absolutely love it! Come back soon, I’ve got more great recipes up my sleeve for you! – Miriam
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Do you know how much everclear I could put I. To prevent it from fully freezing and taste normal?
2 – 3 servings that are how big? Trying to calculate for mini cups for a party
The servings are pretty large. It basically makes a blenderful.
Do you recommend a specific type of lemon?
No, a standard lemon will work fine.
Can you plz suggest an amount of vodka?
Made it with vodka for Shabbos. I would suggest 6-8 ounces. It was amazing but I had to convince my dh that there was no spinach it!! I put it in the freezer for about 1/2 hour before serving to slush it up again and then shook it up well. Everyone really loved it and I will def be making it again.
Hi there!
Will be making this for a large event of about 70 ppl. How many times would you make the recipe? Any tips when making such a large quantity? Tysm
Assuming you take seeds out of whole lemon??