Kid-friendly Mexican Chili Limeade Recipe - Sticky Fingers Cooking
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Recipe: Mexican Chili Limeade

Recipe: Mexican Chili Limeade

Mexican Chili Limeade

by Erin Fletter
Photo by Nickola_Che/Shutterstock.com
prep time
10 minutes
cook time
makes
4-6 servings

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

  • blend :

    to stir together two or more ingredients until just combined; blending is a gentler process than mixing.

  • 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.

Equipment Checklist

  • Citrus juicer (optional)
  • Blender (or pitcher + immersion blender)
  • Dry measuring cups
  • Liquid measuring cup
  • Measuring spoons
scale
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Ingredients

Mexican Chili Limeade

  • 4 limes
  • 1/4 to 1/2 C sugar
  • 4 C cold water
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/4 tsp mild chili powder

Instructions

Mexican Chili Limeade

1.
squeeze + add + blend

Squeeze the juice from 4 limes into a blender or pitcher (for use with an immersion blender). Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, 4 cups of cold water, 1 pinch of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon mild chili powder. Blend until smooth and frothy! Pour into cups and Salud! ("Cheers" in Spanish!).

Surprise Ingredient: Lime!

back to recipe
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 Mexico!

Photo by Alena Darmel
  • Officially, Mexico's name is "The United Mexican States." It is one of several countries and territories in North America, including Canada and the United States of America.
  • Spanish is Mexico's national language, and Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. Mexican people didn't always speak Spanish, though. For thousands of years, Native Americans lived there and built great cities. The people had advanced language, education, and calendar systems, and they had very clever ways of raising food. Mexico is also the country with the largest number of native American speakers in North America. 
  • The capital of Mexico is Mexico City. Mexican legend says that Aztec leaders were told to build their great city of Tenochtitlan at the site where they saw an eagle sitting on a nopal cactus with a snake in its beak. That image is in the center of Mexico's flag. The Aztecs built their city on an island in the middle of a lake. The ruins of Tenochtitlan are at the center of Mexico City and still sit on top of a lake! As water is pumped out to serve the needs of the city's growing population, the city has been sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches per year.  
  • Indigenous Mexican people included the Aztecs in the central interior of the country, the Mayans of the Yucatan peninsula, and the Zapotec of the south. Spanish explorers landed in Mexico in the early 1500s, and they ruled Mexico for over 300 years. During this time of colonization, Mexico's Mesoamerican civilizations mixed with European culture.
  • Before the arrival of Spaniards, native Mexican food primarily consisted of corn, beans, peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, and herbs. Indigenous people occasionally hunted and added wild turkey, rabbit, deer, and quail to their largely vegetarian diets. Native royalty sipped chocolate drinks. Europeans introduced cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, sugarcane, and wheat to Mexico upon their arrival. 
  • Mexican cuisine uses chili peppers to give it its distinct flavor. Jalapeños, poblanos, and serrano peppers are commonly used in Mexican dishes. Dishes that include mole, a sauce made of dark chocolate, chili peppers, cinnamon, and other spices, may be served on special occasions, such as Día de los Muertos. 

What is it like to be a kid in Mexico?

  • Mexican children may live near the ocean or the gulf, in the desert, or in the mountains. 
  • Kids often live with extended family, including grandparents. Their full names include their father's and their mother's.
  • Most kids speak Spanish, but Mexico also recognizes 68 native languages. 
  • They attend school from September through June. Large schools have two shifts—one group in the morning and one in the afternoon. Students are usually required to wear uniforms. 
  • They may play soccer, baseball, and other sports. Jumping rope and other outdoor games are very popular. They might play a game similar to bingo called Lotería. It is played with picture cards and songs. 
  • Corn tortillas are a staple for kids, along with beans and rice. Dishes that include mole, a sauce often made of dark chocolate, chili peppers, cinnamon, and other spices, may be served on special occasions. 
  • A popular family holiday is Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a celebration to remember and honor a family's ancestors. Family members decorate the graves of their relatives who have passed on. Typical foods served for this holiday include empanadas, tamales, pan de muertos (a sweet bread in which a ring with a tiny plastic skeleton is hidden), and calaveras de azucar (sugar candy skulls). 

THYME for a Laugh

What do citrus fruits like to eat? 

Lime-a-beans!

THYME for a Laugh

What do you call a lime that opens doors? 

A Key Lime!

THYME for a Laugh

What do you get when you cross a brontosaurus with a lime? 

A dino-sour!

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