Leonesa lemonade is prepared with young red wine and lemons that are macerated with sugar for at least three days. There are endless recipes, but apart from wine and lemon, cinnamon sticks, oranges and, less frequently, nuts - mainly figs and raisins - are also added. In a way it resembles sangria but its use is less immediate since it requires a maceration time. It is tipycal from the city of León, in the west of Spain near the border line with Portugal.
INGREDIENTS :
- 1 liter (4 cups) young red wine
- 4 lemons (or a maximum weight of 250 grams / 8.8 oz in lemons)
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 orange
Optional:
- 1 cup (200 ml) lemon soda without bubbles
- Half a dozen figs
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- 2 apples
In a saucepan, pour the wine incorporating the sugar, the cinnamon stick and the lemon juice. We mix well so that the sugar dissolves. We cut the lemons that we have squeezed into pieces, we do the same with the orange, and we incorporate them.
If we want, we can add split dried fruits (especially figs and raisins) to give a better flavor. You can also add apple or other fruits, although these additions are not so traditional.
The casserole is left covered in a cool and dry place for 3 days, stirring 3 times a day so that the sugar does not settle to the bottom.
After time we filter with a strainer to obtain clean wine without solids. We check the result and if it is too strong, add a little more sugar or a lemon soda without bubbles.
It is usually served with the addition of fruit segments in the jug or glass, in the style of sangria, but it is more by imitation of this than by being traditional or necessary: after three days of maceration all the flavor of the fruit has passed to the came.
Be careful with the mixture because if you leave it too long it can ferment.
