Kid-friendly Sparkling Ginger Limeade Recipe - Sticky Fingers Cooking
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Recipe: Sparkling Ginger Limeade

Recipe: Sparkling Ginger Limeade

Sparkling Ginger Limeade

by Erin Fletter
Photo by New Africa/Shutterstock.com
prep time
5 minutes
cook time
makes
4-6 servings

Fun Food Story

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Sparkling Ginger Limeade

In Southeast Asia, limeade is a popular drink because limes are everywhere! Ginger Limeade makes for a fresh twist on lemonade and is very refreshing with Pantry Pad Thai or any Asian dish!

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Chef Erin, Food-Geek-in-Chief

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

  • pour :

    to cause liquid, granules, or powder to stream from one container into another.

  • 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.

Equipment Checklist

  • Pitcher
  • Cutting board + kid-safe knife
  • Liquid measuring cup
  • Dry measuring cups
  • Wooden spoon
scale
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Ingredients

Sparkling Ginger Limeade

  • 4 limes (1/2 C fresh lime juice)
  • 4 C ginger ale, preferably without high-fructose corn syrup
  • 1/4 C brown sugar
  • 1 C water
  • 2 C ice

Instructions

Sparkling Ginger Limeade

1.
slice + squeeze

Slice 3 limes in half and squeeze the juice (1/2 cup) into a pitcher.

2.
pour + mix

Pour 4 cups ginger ale, 1 cup water, and 1/4 cup brown sugar into the pitcher and mix well. Add 2 cups of ice and stir. Pour into cups and serve!

Surprise Ingredient: Lime!

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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. 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. 
  • Frozen lemonade was first made and sold in the local market in Naples, Italy, in 1840 by Signore DeLucia. His son, Franco, brought it to the United States around 1900. Franco's son, Angelo, produced a machine to create consistent frozen lemonade, and in 1948, Del's Frozen Lemonade was first sold at a stand in Rhode Island.
  • 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 US 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. Brazilian or Swiss Lemonade is actually a limeade (limonada) made with pieces of unpeeled lime, sugar, water, sweetened condensed milk, and ice cubes.

Let's Learn About Thailand!

Photo by anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock.com (traditional floating market)
  • Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia and is officially called the Kingdom of Thailand. 
  • The country's previous name was Siam. In 1949 it was changed to Thailand, which means "Land of the Free."  
  • Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with a king, prime minister, and national assembly, the legislative body.
  • Thailand's population is more than 69 million people. The official and national language is Thai. It is broken down into four vernaculars (languages spoken by ordinary people): Central Thai, the official and majority language, Isan (or Northeastern Thai), Northern Thai, and Southern Thai. Other spoken languages are Lao, Chinese, Malay, and Khmer.
  • Bangkok is the capital and the largest city in Thailand. According to different websites, it's either the first most-visited or second most-visited city in the world, right up there with London and Paris. 
  • Thailand has over 1400 islands and is at the center of the Indochinese Peninsula.
  • Thailand is home to the world's most enormous gold Buddha, the largest crocodile farm, the biggest restaurant, the tallest hotel, and the longest single-span suspension bridge!
  • Thailand is known for its fantastically delicious street food. You can eat pad thai (noodles, vegetables, and meat stir-fried together), green papaya salad, meat skewers, and even grilled scorpions at street carts everywhere in Thailand! 
  • A hundred years ago, there were more than 100,000 elephants in Thailand, and about 20,000 of them were wild. Today, there are about 5,000 elephants, less than half of them untamed. 
  • Thailand is known for its orchids. In fact, over 1,500 different orchid species grow in the wild in Thailand.
  • Kitti's hog-nosed bat—thought to be the world's smallest mammal—is found in Thailand. It weighs just two grams! This is the same weight as a small pebble or a pile of feathers.
  • One of the country's most unique festivals is the annual Monkey Buffet, held in front of the Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in Lopburi province. Thousands of local macaques dine on a buffet of over two tons of grilled sausage, fresh fruit, ice cream, and other treats. Local people view the festival as a thank you to the monkeys, which live in the village and bring in thousands of tourists each year.
  • The Mekong River, along part of the eastern border of Thailand, contains over 1,300 fish species. Giant freshwater fish, including a 10-foot-long, 660-pound catfish, can be found in the river.
  • The mudskipper is one of Thailand's strangest creatures. This fish-out-of-the-water walks on land using its fins, and it can even climb trees. It absorbs oxygen through its skin and mouth. It's a fish that likes to spend most of its time out of the water, eating the algae in tidal pools.
  • The world's longest snake, the reticulated python, makes its home in Thailand. The largest one ever found measured over 33 feet from end to end.
  • Siamese cats are native to Thailand. In Thai, their name is "wichien maat," meaning "moon diamond" or "diamond gold." A 14th-century book of Thai poems describes 23 types of Siamese cats; today, there are only six breeds. The Si Sawat or Korat cat is another breed of Thai cat, similar to the Siamese, and initially thought to be a blue Siamese cat. They are given to newlyweds to bring good luck to the marriage.

What's It Like to Be a Kid in Thailand?

  • The school year goes from May to March, and both public and private schools require students to wear uniforms.
  • Families and children are important in Thailand. Parents expect their kids to help with household chores and farm chores if they live in a rural area.
  • Soccer, tennis, swimming, and badminton are popular sports for kids. "Muay Thai," or Thai boxing, is the national sport of Thailand, and some kids may start learning it as early as five years old. It is a type of martial art accompanied by traditional music called "Sarama."
  • Rice, especially Jasmine rice, is a staple in Thailand, and it's usually served at every meal. For breakfast, Thai kids may eat "Jok" (rice porridge) or "Khao tom" (sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves), "Kai jiew" (an omelet served with rice), or grilled meat or fish, and fruit. For lunch, they may have soup and a rice or noodle dish with meat and vegetables. Family dinners may include "Khao pad" (Thai fried rice), "Pad Thai" (stir-fried rice noodle dish), and various soups. Typical sweets that kids like are mango sticky rice, coconut ice cream, Thai jelly, and "luk chup," which are candies made from mung beans, coconut milk, and sugar.

Lettuce Joke Around

What do you call a lime that opens doors? 

A Key Lime!

THYME for a Laugh

What do vegetables like to drink? 

Ginger ale!

THYME for a Laugh

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

A dino-sour!

Lettuce Joke Around

A skeleton walks into a restaurant and says…  

"Waiter, I'll have a ginger ale and a mop."

Lettuce Joke Around

What do citrus fruits like to eat? 

Lime-a-beans!

Lettuce Joke Around

What is the noisiest spice? 

Ginger Snap!

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