Recipe: Blackberry Limeade (and homemade blackberry juice)

BLACKBERRY LIMEADE

4 cups fresh or unsweetened frozen blackberries, thawed, plus extra for garnish
1 cup turbinado (raw) sugar (or grated palm sugar)
1 tablespoon grated lime zest (or 1 kaffir lime leaf, crushed)
1 green cardamom pod, lightly crushed
1/2 cup fresh Key lime juice (about 8 small limes)
Thin lime slices, for garnish
2 cups ginger ale
Ice cubes

Place newspaper on nonporous work area as berries will stain most surfaces. Cover with doubled piece of cheesecloth. Place berries on cheesecloth and gather into bundle like a hobo sack. Hold sack of berries over bowl. Twist sack to squeeze juice from berries. Yield should be about 1 cup of very strong, tart, dark juice. Refrigerate juice until needed; discard mash.

In saucepan combine sugar, 1 cup water, lime zest (or leaf) and cardamom pod. Bring to boil. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until mixture is reduced to a thin syrup. Strain to remove zest (or leaf) and cardamom pod. Let sugar syrup cool before chilling.

In 1 quart pitcher combine blackberry juice, sugar syrup and lime juice. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until cold.

TO SERVE:
Stir ginger ale into pitcher, fill glasses with ice and pour in limeade. Garnish with lime slices.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose