Sweet, Sour & Spicy Blackberry Limeade
Yield: 2 Servings
Soundtrack: "Very Special” by Duke Ellington With Charles Mingus & Max Roach from Money Jungle."
After a few friends living on the east coast told me that they were nursing their second and third colds of this year, I conjured up this recipe. I don't know how well it helps one get over a cold, but I like to think that it helps stave them off, since blackberries and limes are rich in vitamin C. Plus the cayenne pepper has antioxidant properties that help preserve and detoxify blood. Since the best fresh blackberries won't be available until this summer, get frozen blackberries at your grocery store. Cheers to spring.
5 cups filtered water
1/2 cup organic raw cane sugar
3/4 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice (12-16 limes)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
about 1/2 pound (10 oz) of frozen blackberries
· In a large saucepan on high heat make a simple syrup by heating 1 cup of water, adding the raw sugar, and stirring well until completely dissolved. Add the rest of the water, the lime juice, and the cayenne pepper. Stir well. Add the blackberries, pour into a pitcher, and refrigerate until cool. Serve in slender, clear glasses.
Bryant Terry is an Oakland-based eco chef and a Food and Society Policy Fellow with the W. K. Kellogg and Fair Food foundations. He is co-author of 'Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen.'