St. Patty's Lucky Limeade for One
by Erin Fletter
Photo by Joshua Resnick/Shutterstock.com
prep time
5 minutes
cook time
makes
1-1 servings
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- dissolve :
to stir an ingredient, like sugar, into another ingredient, like water, until they become one substance; or to melt or liquefy a solid food, such as butter, chocolate, or sugar.
- slice :
to cut into thin pieces using a sawing motion with your knife.
- squeeze :
to firmly press or twist a food with fingers, hands, or a device to remove its liquid, like shredded potatoes, frozen and thawed spinach, or tofu.
- stir :
to mix together two or more ingredients with a spoon or spatula, usually in a circle pattern, or figure eight, or in whatever direction you like!
Equipment Checklist
- Liquid measuring cup (2 to 4-cup)
- Measuring spoons
- Cutting board + kid-safe knife (a butter knife works great)
- Citrus squeezer or juicer (optional)
- Drinking glass
- Spoon to stir
scale
1X
2X
3X
4X
5X
6X
7X
Ingredients
St. Patty's Lucky Limeade for One
- 1 1/2 T sugar
- 1/4 C warm water
- 2 limes
- ice
- 1/4 C cold water
Instructions
St. Patty's Lucky Limeade for One
1.
measure + stir + dissolve
In a 2 or 4-cup liquid measuring cup, measure and add 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 cup warm water. If you will be making other recipes, stir the sugar and water and let it sit while you continue cooking, allowing the sugar to dissolve. (Alternatively, you can microwave the sugar and water for 30 seconds and stir to dissolve the sugar.)
2.
slice + squeeze + stir
Slice 2 limes in half, squeeze the juice into the measuring cup with the water and sugar, and stir.
3.
pour + stir + taste
Pour the lime mixture into a glass with ice, top with about 1/4 cup cold water, and stir again. Taste, add a bit more sugar if needed, and stir well. Shout "Sláinte" (SLAHN-che) or "Cheers" in Irish! "Sláinte" literally means "health" and is used as a stand-in for the more time-consuming "I drink to your health!"
Photo by Waridsara_HappyChildren/Shutterstock.com
Hi! I’m Lime!
"Limes are citrus fruits just like lemons, but we're smaller, rounder, and green. And, while lemons are acidic and sour, limes are more acidic, less sweet, and have a more bitter flavor. We're often invited into the same places as lemons, but you'll probably find us in more savory than sweet dishes, although our Key lime sibling is famous for its pie!"
History & Etymology
- Limes are the fruit of tropical citrus trees closely related to lemons. They are native to Southeast Asia. Currently, India, Mexico, and China produce the most limes globally.
- In the 19th century, sailors drank their daily grog (beer or rum) with added lemon juice to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C. Later, they changed to lime juice. British sailors were derogatorily called "limeys" because of their use of limes. Navies who prevented scurvy by their daily lemon or lime intake would have the advantage over a country's navy that did not use citrus in their diets.
- There are several species of lime plants, and many are hybrids. The type of lime generally sold in grocery stores is the Persian or Tahitian lime, a hybrid of a Key lime and a lemon. The Key lime, native to Southeast Asia, is also known as the West Indian lime; however, the Key lime name comes from the Florida Keys, where it flavors their famous Key lime pie. Spanish explorers brought the lime to Florida in the 16th century. The Kaffir or Makrut lime is native to Southeast Asia and southern China. These three limes are the most widely produced worldwide, with the Persian leading the other two.
- The English word "lime" comes from mid-17th century French from the Spanish "lima," from the Arabic līma, and the Persian "limu."
Anatomy
- Since the Persian lime is the most popular, we will focus on its anatomy. The fruit is about 2.4 inches in diameter. It has no seeds, is larger, less acidic, and has a thicker skin than a Key lime.
- A citrus fruit's "zest" is the green or yellow outermost layer of the peel (skin), which contains powerful flavor compounds. The "pith" is the spongy, white layer between the skin and the flesh and is quite bitter. Avoid the pith when zesting your fruit.
How to Pick, Buy, & Eat
- Select limes that are firm and heavy (more juice!) with shiny, blemish-free, green skins.
- Limes are fully ripe and juicier when they are yellow, not dark green; however, they are usually sold when they are green and have better flavor.
- If you refrigerate your limes, they will last about two weeks. You can freeze lime juice to use at a later time.
- The average lime contains one tablespoon of juice. Roll a room-temperature lime on the counter, adding light pressure, before cutting it open to get the maximum amount of liquid.
- Limes are highly acidic, and this acid will react with different foods in different ways. For example, the acid will denature the proteins in fish and seafood, causing the fish to become firm and opaque, almost as if you had cooked it. The acid in lime juice can also curdle milk, and while it can cause green vegetables to turn a drab olive color, it will help vegetables such as potatoes and turnips maintain their white color.
- You can substitute lime for lemon in a dish, but you will want to decrease the amount due to a lime's stronger flavor and acidity. For example, if a recipe calls for one cup of lemon juice, substitute three-quarters of a cup of lime juice.
- Here are some foods you can add lime to (besides Key lime pie): limeade, dressings and dips, guacamole, salsa, lime curd, lime bars, sherbet, fajitas, tacos, chicken, fish, beef, and pork.
Nutrition
- One lime has 32 percent of the daily value of vitamin C, which boosts immunity and helps your body heal.
- Citrus fruits, like lemons and limes, have citric acid, which can help prevent kidney stones from forming.
- Limes do not contain very much natural sugar. That's why they are so tart! Compared with an orange, another citrus fruit, a lime has one gram of sugar, and a small orange has nine grams.
History of Lemonade!
Photo by JeniFoto/Shutterstock.com
- Lemonade was probably the first of the fruitades. Ancient Egyptians made a drink with lemons and sugar cane called "qatarmizat" in the 11th century. In 1676 a Parisian company was the first to sell lemonade.
- Old-fashioned lemonade, or cloudy lemonade, is made from the juice of freshly squeezed lemons, non-carbonated water, and sugar and is a very popular summer drink in the United States and Canada.
- Pink lemonade includes other fruit juice, like grape juice, or food coloring to make it pink. Ireland uses brown sugar to sweeten their lemonade and calls it brown lemonade.
- Many countries have other varieties, including France, which serves "citron pressé," providing lemon, water, and sweetener to customers who prefer to measure and mix their own lemonade.
-
To get even more flavor from the lemon (or any fruit), you can make a lemon crush by pressing (muddling) pieces of the squeezed, unpeeled lemon (make sure it's been washed!) in the bottom of the glass or pitcher.
-
Limeade is another popular citrus fruit-flavored drink made with lime juice, water, and sugar.
Let's Learn About Ireland!
Photo by Thomas Bresenhuber/Shutterstock.com (Rock of Cashel)
- Ireland, or the Republic of Ireland, is on the island of Ireland, called Éire in the Irish language. Its nickname is the Emerald Isle because it is very green and lush!
- Ireland is a country in northwestern Europe, west of Great Britain, another island.
- The Republic of Ireland shares a border with Northern Ireland, which belongs to the United Kingdom. England, Scotland, Wales, which make up Great Britain, and Northern Ireland are all part of the UK.
- Irish is one of two official languages, with English being the second; however, English is more commonly spoken.
- Over 5 million people live in Ireland, and its total area is 32,595 square miles. Their currency is the euro.
- The capital city, Dublin, and its environs are home to about 40 percent of the population of Ireland.
- Ireland has a long, complicated history, but people called the Celts made their home in the region about 700 years BCE and thrived for almost 2,000 years. Then, in the Middle Ages, Vikings arrived on ships and started settling the area, which led to conflict.
- The Rock of Cashel is one of several popular tourist sites in Ireland. It is a rocky, limestone outcropping. At the top, you will find medieval buildings, including a Gothic cathedral; a Romanesque chapel called Cormac's Chapel, named for a King of Munster; the Hall of the Vicars Choral; a 15th-century Tower House; an abbey; a round tower; and a high cross. Saint Patrick, of St. Patrick's Day fame, is associated with the Rock of Cashel.
- Ireland was part of the United Kingdom from 1801 until December 6, 1922, when it became a self-governing nation but still part of the British Empire, known as the Irish Free State. In 1937 it became a republic, which was made official in 1949. The British had been involved in Ireland since 1169, when the Anglo-Normans invaded, and English kings claimed sovereignty there.
- The Great Famine (or Irish Potato Famine) affected Ireland from 1845 to 1849. Potatoes were a staple food, and when the potato blight decimated the potato crop. As a result, many people got sick, died, or fled the country, and the population decreased by 30 percent.
- The green on the Irish flag represents Ireland's nationalists, orange represents the Protestant followers of William of Orange in Ireland, and white represents peace between the two groups.
- Some of the well-known symbols of Ireland include the shamrock, Celtic knot, Celtic cross, and the Celtic harp.
- Famous Irish authors and poets include Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats, James Joyce, and George Bernard Shaw.
- Ireland is also famous for its Irish Celtic music and Irish dancing.
- Green is associated with St. Patrick's Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland, and the shamrock. Saint Patrick's Day on March 17 is a public religious and cultural holiday in Ireland. Many other countries around the world also celebrate it.
- St. Patrick's Day was celebrated in the United States for the first time in 1737 in Boston, Massachusetts. However, the city to hold the first official St. Patrick's Day parade was New York City, starting in 1766. Over 100 US cities now have Saint Patrick's Day parades. After all, on St. Patrick's day, "everybody is Irish!"
- Traditional Irish sports are Gaelic football and hurling, and they are also the most popular sports in the country. Association football (soccer) is third in popularity. Additional sports include rugby, cricket, and horseracing. At the Olympics, boxing is Ireland's most successful sport.
- Irish cuisine includes "boxty" (potato pancake), "colcannon" (mashed potatoes with cabbage), "coddle" (a dish of potatoes, sausage, thin bacon or "rashers," and onion), and Irish soda bread.
- A "full Irish breakfast" consists of bacon, pork sausage, fried eggs, black pudding (blood sausage), baked beans, sliced tomato, sautéed mushrooms, soda bread or toast, and tea or coffee.
What's It Like to Be a Kid in Ireland?
- If kids in Ireland live in Irish-speaking communities, their schools teach classes in the Irish language. If they live in English-speaking areas, instruction is in the English language, unless kids attend an Irish-language school called a "gaelscoil," where classes are in Irish.
- Most Irish schools require students to wear uniforms.
- Irish children may play "rounders," a bat and ball game, "skipping" or jumping rope, marbles, and Irish "skittles," a bowling-like game where kids try to hit pins that are set up on the ground with pieces of wood called skittles.
- Kids may participate in some of the following sports: Gaelic football, handball, hurling or camogie, association football (soccer), rugby, boxing, and swimming.
- For breakfast, kids may eat the full, traditional Irish breakfast or have pancakes or scones. For a snack, they may eat potato chips or Irish flapjacks, which are granola bars made with oats. A favorite sweet treat is a fairy cake, a small cupcake with icing drizzled on top
THYME for a Laugh
What do you call a lime that opens doors?
A Key Lime!
That's Berry Funny
What do you get when you cross a brontosaurus with a lime?
A dino-sour!
The Yolk's On You
What do citrus fruits like to eat?
Lime-a-beans!
