Redbud Lemonade

Redbud tree

Redbud lemonade is perfect for spring graduation parties or any sunny occasion. When I held my daughter's graduation party last year, we had strawberry lemonade with strawberries from our garden and powdered lemonade mix. You can make a similar and unique lemonade with Redbud flowers! You can use a powdered lemonade mix or use the sugar/lemon juice combo in my recipe below.

I highly recommend putting this pretty lemonade in a glass dispenser. I bought mine last year for my daughter's party, and we have used it so many times since then! The dispensers with the stand are worth it. If you don't have a stand for your dispenser, then you will have to be much more creative with your dispenser location.

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup redbud flowers
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Ice
• Mint leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Gather your ingredients and wash the redbud flowers thoroughly.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan.
3. Add the redbud flowers to the boiling water and cover the pot.
4. Let the flowers steep in the hot water for 15 minutes.
5. Strain the flowers from the water, reserving the liquid.
6. Add the sugar and lemon juice to the liquid and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
7. Chill the lemonade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
8. Serve over ice and garnish with mint leaves, if desired.

Enjoy! Redbud lemonade is a refreshing and delicious way to enjoy the springtime blooms.

Here are some tips for making redbud lemonade:

• Use fresh, young redbud flowers. The flowers will start to wilt and the flavor will be less intense as they age.
• Don't overcook the flowers. Overcooking will make the lemonade bitter.
• Use a good quality lemon juice. The flavor of the lemonade will depend on the quality of the lemon juice.
• Add more sugar to taste. If you like your lemonade sweeter, add more sugar.
• Garnish with mint leaves for a touch of freshness.

Wonder what else you can do with Redbud trees?  Head over to my post about their edible qualities here!