Step 1
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine water, the Redpath Simply Raw™ Turbinado Sugar, and lemon zest. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar; 2 minutes.
Step 2
Remove from heat and add the chrysanthemum tea. Cover the pot with a lid and allow to steep; 5 to 10 minutes (see Chef’s Tips).
Step 3
Strain the sweetened tea mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large serving pitcher (see Chef’s Tips). Allow mixture to cool to room temperature; 15 minutes. Place into the fridge to chill; at least 1 hour.
Step 4
Remove the large pitcher from the fridge. Pour in the chilled lemon juice. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to thoroughly mix. Add 1 cup of ice (more ice can be added later if a more diluted lemonade is preferred). Top pitcher off with the club soda (or sparkling water).
Fill individual glasses with ice, fill with the sparkling chrysanthemum tea lemonade, and garnish with lemon and/or chrysanthemum flowers.
*Keep liquids chilled in the fridge before assembling. This ensures a cold lemonade that is ready to be served immediately. It also reduces the need for additional ice, which will dilute the drink's flavour.
*Loose leaf whole bud or dried whole chrysanthemum flowers are a higher quality tea than tea bags. White (tends to be higher quality) or yellow chrysanthemum tea can be used in this recipe. Look for flowers/buds that are closed or partially open. Opened buds/flowers have less flavour.
*Chrysanthemum tea can be found at specialty tea shops and most Asian supermarkets.
*Do not steep the flowers for more than 10 minutes as this may result in a bitter flavour and turn the tea a slight green colour.
*Do not discard steeped chrysanthemum as it can be steeped again (4 to 5 times or until it loses flavour).
*To quickly chill liquids (e.g. tea, simple syrups), transfer into a metal bowl. Fill a larger bowl with ice and a small amount of water. Set the bowl with the hot liquid over the ice, constantly stirring until cooled. Cover or transfer into an airtight container and place into the fridge until needed.
*Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar can be substituted for the Redpath Simply Raw™ Turbinado Sugar; however, note that the lemonade will have slight caramel notes, and the drink will be less vibrant in colour.
*If a more tart lemonade is preferred, add an additional ¼ to ½ cup (63 ml to 125 ml) of fresh lemon juice to the pitcher.
