FOOD NEWS
Elevate Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade With A Quick Air Fry
BY LUNA REGINA
When you air fry lemons tossed with some sugar and a splash of water, the fruit undergoes a pretty exciting change that can make for an incredibly delicious lemonade.
The lemon's outer layer turns toasty, and the sugar caramelizes, all while keeping the inside juicy. The sugar adds sweetness and softens the lemon's natural tartness.
Using it for lemonade will create a naturally sweet lemonade with a zesty scent and a nutty, almost smoky aroma. The caramelization will also add a hint of bitterness.
To make air-fried lemonade, start by washing and quartering the lemons, then remove the pith and seeds. Keep the peel on and fully coat the lemon quarters in sugar.
Place them flesh-side down in the air fryer basket, then add just enough water to the basket to cover the bottom. Set the timer for fifteen minutes and the temperature to 350 F.
When the timer beeps, flip the lemons and cook them until they're nice and toasty with darkened edges and a nice layer of caramelized sugar browning the top of the golden flesh.
Set the toasted lemons to cool for a few minutes, then blend them in a high-powered blender with more sugar and water until you have a hazy and aromatic mixture.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and serve over ice. If the lemonade is too strong, add some water or use the leftover simple syrup at the bottom of the air fryer.