By Peter Lyons Hall
It was a hot August Saturday in Greenwood Lake when Lu’s Lemons first appeared at the Lakeside Farmers Market and began quenching the thirst of market-goers, while customers visited the other vendors, deciding what to take home with them as a treat for family or friends.
According to Mayo Clinic, “Citrus fruits, including oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits and clementines, are an excellent source of vitamin C. And vitamin C supports your immune system, which plays a role in maintaining healthy skin, bones and blood vessels. Vitamin C also improves absorption of iron when consumed with plant-based sources of iron, such as beans, lentils, leafy green vegetables, tofu and blackstrap molasses. Lemons and their family of citrus fruits contain soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which provide great benefits. Soluble fiber can support your cardiovascular health by reducing your low-density lipoprotein, or LDL or “bad,” cholesterol levels, in turn reducing your risk of heart disease. Insoluble fiber supports your digestive system and can help alleviate constipation. Citrus fruits are also a source of potassium, thiamin, and trace amounts of other vitamins and minerals.”
Lu’s recipe for the perfect lemonade began with Frances’s daughter who was in nursing school at the time. She wanted something to do during the summer time, and so she started a business at the Middletown farmers market. They start with fresh lemons and limes, slice them, then they are cajoled and squeezed until the juice is expressed into a generous 32oz. container into which is added a modest amount of pure cane sugar, followed by ice and spring water. After adding the lid, Frances then shakes the mixture while the customer waits for a delicious satisfyingly cold drink that is sure to please real lemonade afficionados. She offers fresh limeade as well, together with a dizzying array of all natural, Kosher syrup flavors to enhance the flavors of your favorite drink. “The name ‘Lu’ is a combination of my dad’s name which is Luis and my grandson’s middle name which is named after my dad, Luis. We love the community and we love to see everybody come out and support us,” revealed Frances. Lu’s Lemons was an apparent hit this past Saturday because Frances ran out of lemons!
Writing for the Sugar Association, Laura Rutherford, explains that “When it comes to lemonade, there is a recipe to suit every taste. Turkish lemonade uses the whole lemon and involves grating lemon zest into sugar. This mixture is then added to the lemon juice and water, producing a sweet and slightly bitter drink. Parisian lemonade consists of three separate small pitchers of simple syrup, water, and lemon juice, which the drinker combines to their liking. In Portugal and North Africa, lemonade is made with cold brew coffee, a few tablespoons of simple syrup and lemon juice poured over ice.” State fairs through the United States feature lemonade as a staple and, like Lu’s recipe, generally includes just three ingredients: lemons, cane sugar, and ice!
The Lakeside Farmers Market, open every Saturday from 9AM-1PM, features local vendors from nearby communities that offer fresh, homemade and locally grown produce, orchards, artisan crafts, and homemade baked goods, yogurts, prepared foods, and other items, like fresh picked sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, zucchini. For more details, click on GWLNY.org
Photo credits: Peter Lyons Hall
