Lemonade is one of those quintessential summer drinks that we all love and associate with the season. While the commonly available yellow or lemony yellow lemonade is the common one, the pink lemonade has also made its presence known. So is there a difference between pink lemonade vs lemonade?
Well, generally, the difference lies merely in the color. Pink lemonade, as you can guess, has a pink color. It usually has a flavor similar to conventional lemonade, though it can vary depending on how the color is achieved. There are a few ways to achieve the color, and that’s what makes pink lemonade different from lemonade.
Lemonade vs Pink Lemonade – Key Elements
How Does Pink Lemonade Get Its Color?
So, what makes pink lemonade pink? The simplest answer is food dyes. Adding a touch of red food dye to the usual lemonade should do the trick.
The red mixed with the yellow tones of lemonade give the drink a pink hue. Remember, pink lemonade isn’t supposed to be vivid pink or red.
Another way to add color is by adding other ingredients that bring a red tinge. These include strawberries, cranberries, or other similarly colored juices. Adding these ingredients will also result in a change of taste and flavor.
While these additions can be enjoyable, many people prefer their lemonade to have its original and distinct flavor. So, food dyes are often the popular choice.
What about pink lemons? Can you use them to make pink lemonade?
Pink lemons have become fairly popular thanks to their unusual color. Yet, they manage to maintain the same sweet and sour touch of lemons. Many pink lemons get sweeter as they mature.
It would be natural to think that pink lemonade comes from pink lemons. However, that is not the case. Though these lemons have a pink color, their juice is somewhat clear and looks like conventional lemon juice.
Therefore, you can use pink lemons to make lemonade. Although if you want the lemonade to be pink, you’ll have to add additional colors, dyes, or ingredients.
Difference Between Lemonade And Pink Lemonade
Now that we know how pink lemonade gets its color, we can clearly differentiate the properties of pink lemonade and lemonade.
The biggest difference between pink lemonade and lemonade is the color.
In case you used a good quality food dye to get that pink hue, there won’t be any noticeable difference of flavor between the lemonades.
On the other hand, if you choose other foods for the color, their flavor too will be present in the lemonade. For example, using strawberry juice or cranberry juice for coloring will also add a strawberry or cranberry flavor to the lemonade.
Understanding Lemonade And What Is Pink Lemonade
Lemonade is a drink people have enjoyed across the world for centuries. As with most recipes of this type, it’s impossible to pinpoint the origins. However, it is generally believed that the lemonade originated in India. The theory makes sense, because lemons originated in India, as did the famous and common sweetener, sugarcane.
Essentially, lemonade is a mix of lemon juice, water, and sweeteners. While conventional cane sugar is the most common option, you can use other sweeteners like honey, agave nectar, and stevia.
As with most recipes, there are countless variations of the lemonade. Some people skip the sweetener and add salt instead. Others add salt and sweeteners both for a mix of sweet, salty, and sour food. Other variations see water replaced with carbonated water or sparkling water.
Though sweeteners are seen as a key part of lemonades, the drink usually doesn’t have a lot of sugar. It should have enough sugar to be sweet, but not overly sweet or syrupy. The tart and sour flavors of lemonade should not be overpowered or overwhelmed by sugar.
And what is pink lemonade in this scenario? It is pretty identical to conventional lemonade, but with substances added to bring color. You can use a food dye or fruit juices to give lemonade its famous pink hue.
The origins of pink lemonade are better known. It came to be somewhere around the 1850s, most likely in an American circus. Indeed, the beverage was so famous that pretty much every circus offered it.
How they colored it, is the more gnarly part. Stories range from some enterprising seller in a circus using dirty water with a pink fabric dye to make lemonade. Or some dude accidentally dropping cinnamon candies in traditional lemonade.
Either way, it was an instant hit.
FAQ And More Details
What Flavor Is Pink Lemonade?
The flavor of pink lemonade depends on the coloring used for it. The base flavor is the conventional lemonade, with its mix of sweet and tart flavors. A proper food dye won’t affect the flavor of the pink lemonade. However, if fruit juices like strawberry or cranberry are employed, you will notice their flavor and sweetness in the pink lemonade.
Is Pink Lemonade Strawberry Lemonade?
Pink lemonade can be strawberry lemonade, though not all pink lemonade is strawberry lemonade. A red color is added to lemonade to make pink lemonade. If you add strawberry juice to lemonade, you get pink lemonade or strawberry lemonade. However, you could also make pink lemonade with other coloring options, including red food dye, cranberry juice, and other similar products.
How To Make Pink Lemonade
To make pink lemonade, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Fresh squeezed lemon juice (fresh is better, but even store-bought unsweetened juice will do): 1.5 cups.
- Water: 4-5 cups.
- Sugar: 1 or 1.5 cups (adjustable to taste preferences)
- Coloring: This will depend on your preference of flavor and color. You can choose either of these options. These are 1 cup pureed strawberry (stems removed), or one cup cranberry juice, or 2-3 drops red food coloring.
- Optional ingredients: Ice cubes and mint or basil leaves.
Alternative options for coloring include pomegranate juice or raspberry juice.
To make lemonade, especially if you’re starting with fresh lemons, carefully squeeze them to get about 1.5 cups of lemon juice. Consider straining the juice to remove any seeds in the mix.
Add the juice to water. At this point, you can also add the sugar. Mix thoroughly until all sugar dissolves.
For the coloring, you can add a few drops of red food dye. Usually, 2-3 drops should be enough. Mix it thoroughly.
In case you prefer fruits for the color, you can add the pureed fruit to the lemonade. For example, if you’re using strawberries, start by removing their stems. Follow this by using a blender to make a smooth puree out of the strawberries.
Pour about one cup of this puree onto the lemonade to make pink lemonade.
You can also use cranberries, raspberries, or pomegranates to give the food coloring.
Consider adding some ice to make the lemonade cool and refreshing. When serving, you could top it with some mint or basil leaves for fresh flavor.
Conclusion
The biggest difference in the pink lemonade vs lemonade comparison is the color. Making pink lemonade requires adding a coloring agent to conventional lemonade. This can be as simple as a few drops of red food dye, or if you prefer, other flavor and coloring agents. These can include strawberries, cranberries, pomegranates, or raspberries.