Winter Refreshment: Grapefruit, Maple, Mint Spritzer

Getting a  little weary of the hot chocolate by now?  Me too.  I am so looking forward to spring and those first buds to appear.  But, until then, we will have to create our own bit of sunshine.  And, that I did with this light, fresh tasting and downright sunny burst of citrus, maple and mint.

I chose one of my favorite sweeteners and seasonal fruits when making this.  This is really refreshing, really quick and contains lots of vitamin C to keep those lingering flu and cold germs away.

Grapefruit, Mint, Maple Spritzer

You could choose another citrus if you are not a fan of grapefruit.  If you go that route, I would cut back a bit on the maple syrup then so that it is not too sweet.

Gather

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups of segmented organic pink grapefruit pieces and their juice
• juice of half a large lime or the juice of a small one
• 4 or 5 fresh mint leaves and save a sprig or two for garnish
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• Sparkling water or plain water

Now do this

• Combine water, grapefruit segments, lime juice, mint leaves, and maple syrup into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5-10 minutes for the flavors to meld.
• Remove from heat and pour contents into a large strainer sitting on top of a bowl.  
• Press the grapefruit and mint leaves in the mesh strainer to extract the flavors. 
• Optional step for a thicker and more concentrated consistency: Return the strained liquid to the saucepan.  Depending on how much juice you have, simmer the contents for 5-10 minutes or until the liquid reaches a thin syrup consistency.  
• Place in a jar and allow to cool in the refrigerator.
• To make a spritzer, add a few tablespoons of the syrup to iced sparkling (or plain) water. Stir well.  Garnish with mint.

Three Other Ways to Use Grapefruit, Mint Syrup

Don't waste any remainder!  Here are a few other ideas of what you could do with any syrup that is leftover. 

1.  Swish up an interesting salad dressing.  Add some olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper, a bit of garlic and a teaspoon or two of sherry vinegar and you have a nice dressing for a bed of greens. 

2.  Make a breakfast on the fly. Pour the syrup over some plain organic green yogurt and you are out the door!

3.  Dip your favorite grilled item.  Add a crushed garlic clove, some salt and pepper, some more lime, a dash of sesame oi and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds to make a great dipping sauce for some grilled vegetables, chicken or other favorite grilled item.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thecampbells/3497759488/">shawncampbell</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>
mint: photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/483675276/">Darwin Bell</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>