Beet Lemonade
makes about 8 cups
adapted slightly from Saveur
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup finely grated raw beet*
6 cups filtered water, divided
*I used the fine grating side of a box grater to shred a small, raw, unpeeled beet. You can also use a food processor with the shredder attachment, but I found the box grater to be much easier.
In a blender or a food processor (fitted with the blade attachment), blend together lemon juice, sugar, shredded beet, and 1 cup of water. Blend for 1 minute until the mixture is bright pink and well combined. The beets will never be fully smooth, that’s ok!
Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer and into a medium bowl. Use the back of a spoon to press any remaining juice out of the beets and into the lemonade. Transfer strained mixture to a pitcher and discard the beets. Add remaining 5 cups of water to the pitcher and stir. Taste and add more lemon or sugar as necessary. Store in the refrigerator and serve chilled.
