Strawberry lemonade was something I discovered by chance. I was making traditional lemonade at the same time as a strawberry cheesecake and I just threw a handful of the strawberries into the jug to see what would happen. The result was a really pretty colour drink. I wouldn't say that the taste of strawberries is very strong but they do soften the sharpness of the lemon. The quantities always vary depending on how juicy and sharp the lemons are and how many strawberries I have in the fridge. You can substitute the strawberries with some fresh ginger for ginger lemonade, some lavender syrup for lavender lemonade or raspberries! So many possibilities! Hopefully now that the summer has returned, a few of you might like to try this - after all there are few more traditional summer drinks than home made lemonade.

Strawberry lemonade

4 lemons

2 heaps tbsp caster sugar

8 - 10 strawberries, tops removed and cut in half

Peel about 4 large pieces of peel from one of the lemons. I do this using my potato peeler. You need to be careful to have as little of the white on the rind as possible as this makes the lemonade bitter. Place the rind in a heatproof jug with the sugar, the juice of the lemons (make sure there are no pips as I think these can make the lemonade bitter too) and the strawberries. Boil the kettle and pour over approximately 300ml of boiling water - enough to cover the strawberries and sugar and stir to dissolve. Leave to cool. Taste the syrup to see whether the syrup needs any more sugar - I love the sharpness of lemons so don't usually put any more in, but this is just my personal taste. When cold, top the jug up with water and ice and serve in tall glasses. To make traditional lemonade, simply omit the strawberries (you may find you need a bit more sugar).