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Easy recipe for Hindu fermented lemonade, a lightly cultured traditional beverage to add probiotics and enzymes to any meal.
For those of you who are wanting to take the leap and start adding a daily probiotic element to your whole foods diet, this recipe for fermented lemonade, also called Hindu lemonade, is an all-time favorite of traditional foodies.
It is as easy as it is delicious, pleasing both child and parent alike.
This type of healthy beverage is also the answer to those sugar-laden, juice boxes that most kids have packed in their school lunches every day. Worse, that sugar is frequently a juice blend with added GMO high fructose corn syrup.
Even a 100% juice box is still just sugar in the final analysis. Once you pasteurize fresh juice, the nutrition is long gone and all that remains is obesity-promoting fructose and a sugar spike/crash for the child. Not the best choice for school lunch by any means!
How to Make Hindu Lemonade
Packing this homemade fermented lemonade, on the other hand, is a nice treat that will delight, nourish, and strengthen your childโs immune system.
Fresh whole milk a great choice for a school lunch (when the kids were young, I usually packed a thermos of cold, fresh milk โฆ sometimes I packed sipping bone broth too), but when you have run out temporarily or just want to pack a juice treat, this is a great choice.
Note that using freshly squeezed lemon juice produces the most reliable results. Using pasteurized store juice does work, but you run the risk of mold.
Why is this? Store lemon juice is pasteurized, which eliminates the natural probiotics and enzymes that faciliate the fermentation to โtakeโ properly.
Fermented Lemonade Recipe
Easy recipe for fermented lemonade that will no doubt be one of your familyโs favorites as it is rich in flavor and probiotics.
Ingredients
- 6-8 medium lemons or 1- 1.5 cups of lemon juice (preferably fresh squeezed)
- 1/2 cup sucanat
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg preferably organic
- 2 quarts filtered water
- 1/2 cup liquid whey
- vegetable starter optional. Use if you prefer dairy free starter.
Instructions
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Mix all ingredients together in a 1 gallon glass jug.ย
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Cover and leave on the counter for 2 days and then transfer to the refrigerator.ย
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The lemonade flavor improves over time, but is drinkable immediately after the 2 day fermentation period.
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If it is too tart compared with the overly sweet lemonades from the store, mix 1 or 2 drops plain liquid stevia to each glass until your family adjusts to the mildly sweet/sour flavor.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Limes or a combination of lemons and limes may be substituted for the lemons. The juice must be freshly squeezed.
Reference
More Information
Switchel: Natureโs Healthy Gatorade
How to Make Orangina (Fermented Orange Juice)
How to Make Ginger Ale
Brew Your Own Healthy and Traditional Root Beer
I want to make this recipe, but have no way right now of getting whey. I will next month, probably. Two questions:
1. If I use honey instead of the sugar you mentioned, how much honey should I use instead?
2. If I use a probiotic capsule, what kind of probiotic would I need? There’s so many out there, want to be sure of the right kind, and is 1 capsule enough?
3. I love that juicer you have! What kind is it – brand?
Thanks!
Tamara Slack
I followed the recipe but left the glass container out for an extra day. I’m worried that it’s moldy…the lid was closed as tightly as possible, but I used parchment paper between the lid and the rim. Egad. Is the beverage supposed to have chunks of foamy looking stuff in it? There was a 1/2 inch layer of foam floating through the second day, then it seems to have fallen to the bottom of the container. NT’s version said to skim off the foam, but there wasn’t any really left to skim. Honestly, I’m afraid to drink it, much less serve it to my family. *sigh* Helpรขโฌยฝ
the only things you need to look out for are mold, and it will look green or blue or fuzzy white just like bread mold. it is not likely to get mold. the whey tips the balance of the bacteria over so that more good bacteria take over and the bad bacteria are diminished. being that there is live bacteria, there will be foam sometimes, and different things. none of it is anything to worry about unless it looks like very obvious mold, like mold on bread. that being said, you may have accidentally eaten moldy bread before, and it doesn’t even hurt you, so relax and let your taste buds figure it out if still in doubt.
I love the Lemonade! Thank you! This might be asking for too much, but my all time favorite drink is a half and half, also known as an Arnold Palmer. Is there any way to make something along those lines, so I can enjoy my favorite beverage guilt free this summer? Thanks.
Does the glass jar have to have a lid? Can it be open in a pitcher? Where do you get your glass jugs with lids? Also can it be done in a plastic milk carton?
I found my glass jugs at a home brewing store. They were about $5 each. You can also order them on the internet, but I didn’t want to wait! ๐ I THINK that anytime you are fermenting it should be done in glass. Sarah specifically mentioned that in the kombucha video.
We don’t have the same types of sugars here in the UK–readily available that is. Could I use demerara, muscovado, or jaggery? I am reluctant to use raw honey at the moment because I am pregnant.
Also, my nearest source of raw milk is a two hour drive. I was wondering if I ever made the trip, could I buy several gallons and freeze them. Could I then use them to make whey and cheese later? OR would they lose the good stuff? I will have to make whey from yoghurt in the meantime. (I am also reluctant to try raw milk while pregnant).
Hi Amy, I am not familiar with those types of sugars. Just try unprocessed brown sugar. Raw milk freezes and thaws fine.
Hi there. Moscavado is the same as Panela, rapadura, sucanat or pilonsillo. So far as i know, jaggary is as well.
I pray that helps!
Would this work with oranges, do you think?
Yes, it would.
This was finally ready yesterday for a tasting. I am surprised by the flavor. I expected it to be much more sour than it is. My kids (5 & 2) really liked it. My little one chugged it and then said Kombucha. I told her it was lemonade. I don’t think it tastes like Kombucha but the color is similar. I don’t think I would go out of my way to make it but if I get 6 or more lemons in my Bountiful Basket this will be my go to recipe. Your recipes are fabulous.
Thanks, Sarah! Another great video lesson – I always enjoy & appreciate them! I am going to try this with grapefruit, as we have a bunch sitting here that need to be used. We’ll see how it goes.
Okay so I just made this two days ago and it smells divine but there appears to be a “mother” floating on top of it. It that right? Do I filter is or do just shake it up and drink it? Thanks for you site I’m here everyday!!!
Hi Esther, just refrigerate and then mix well to drink. Enjoy! It is fantastic.