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Instructions |
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Put vodka in the freezer.
Wash and roll lemons, leaving one unrolled for garnish. By rolling, I mean make squishy by rolling on the counter so more juice comes out. Rinse the basil, pull off the bigger stems and remove the buds or flowers if there are any.
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Peel the rinds off the lemons with a vegetable peeler (The peeler – versus a knife – helps to get the rind while avoiding the bitter white part of the peel underneath. If you get lots of white on your peels, you have to scrape it off with a sharp knife or the mixture will turn bitter. You want thin, yellow peels.)
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Put the rinds, the basil (leave a couple of big leaves out for garnish) in a pot with 12 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar or sugar substitute (Yay Splenda!). Stir together.
Bring to a boil for a minute or two. Then cover and let sit for at least 30-40 minutes, or as long as you want or have so you can complete the process before your sistas are coming over.
Use a colander or strainer to strain the mixture, pressing on the leaves. Put in the refrigerator to cool.
Juice the lemons and strain out the seeds and pulp. Add juice to the lemon-basil mixture in the refrigerator to cool.
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To make the drinks, I’d do two parts vodka to three parts lemon-basil mixture, but it depends on who’s drinking and what they like. Then add lemon slices and basil leaves for garnish. Serve with or without ice. Let the good times roll.
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Originally Submitted
5/16/2009
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