Lemongrass, calamondin, and honey are easily found ingredients that are rich in vitamin C and other substances that help boost immunity and protect health. Let’s get cooking with TasteVN to make 3 easy-to-make drinks from lemongrass, calamondin, and honey at home!
1. Lemongrass Honey Lemonade
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
1 hour 15 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Lemongrass Honey Lemonade Serves 4
Lemon 5 pieces Lemongrass 10 stalks Honey A little Filtered water 2.5 liters
How to choose fresh, delicious lemons
- Choose lemons that are medium-sized but heavy in hand, as heavier lemons will contain more juice, be fresher, and of higher quality.
- Opt for bright green lemons with thin, fresh, and shiny skin that is not rough; they will have a higher vitamin content compared to others.
- Avoid buying lemons that are too small in size, as they may be immature and taste bitter when consumed.
How to make Lemongrass Lemon Honey Drink
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Prepare the ingredients
Wash the lemongrass thoroughly, then crush and cut it into pieces.
Wash the lemon with water and place it in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 hours until it freezes. After that, peel the lemon.
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Cook the lemongrass lemon water
Place a pot on the stove, add 2.5 liters of filtered water and boil over medium heat. Then, add the lemongrass and lemon, cook for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
Tip:
- The amount of lemongrass can be adjusted according to personal preference, as some people may not like the smell of lemongrass.
- A large amount of lemon peel can make the drink bitter, which may be hard for some people to drink, so it can be adjusted to a lesser amount as needed.
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Finished product
When drinking, you put a little honey into a glass and then add the lemongrass lemon water, stir well until the honey dissolves and you can enjoy it right away.
The lemongrass lemon honey water has a fragrant smell of lemongrass and honey, mixed with a slight sour taste of lemon. You can drink it hot or cold, both are very delicious.
This drink is very good for your health and your family’s health. This type of water can be stored in the refrigerator for use within the day.
2. Kumquat stewed with honey
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Preparation
45 minutes
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Cooking
1 hour
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Honey Steamed Kumquat Serves 3
Fresh kumquat 0.5 kg Honey 80 ml Ginger 1 root (sliced) Rock sugar 150 gr
Ingredient Image
How to Make Honey Steamed Kumquat
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Prepare the Ingredients
Soak kumquats in dilute salt water for about 45 minutes to help honey steamed kumquat last longer, eliminate bacteria and dirt attached to the skin.
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Steam the Kumquats
After soaking, rinse the kumquats, cut them in half, remove the seeds, and place them in a bowl with 80 ml of honey, 150 gr of rock sugar, and sliced ginger.
Put the kumquat bowl into a steamer for about 60 minutes. Enjoy the honey steamed kumquat while it’s still hot.
Tip
- To make honey steamed kumquat, you can also use palm sugar for a milder sweetness, but the color won’t be as nice as using rock sugar.
- Make sure to remove the kumquat seeds to avoid bitterness and make it easier to eat.
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Final product
Honey stewed kumquat has a sweet and delicious taste, not only appealing but also has many great health benefits. For young children and pregnant women, this dish will be very effective whenever suffering from colds or dry coughs.
You can place clean, dry kumquats in a glass jar and store them in the refrigerator for long-term use.
3. Sugar kumquat syrup
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Processing
2 hours 15 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Sugar kumquat syrup For 4 people
Lime leaves 500 gr (thick leaf herb) Rock sugar 1 kg Kumquat 500 gr (kumquat fruit) Ginger 1 piece (small)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh kumquats
- You should choose kumquats that are just ripe, with a light yellow skin, uniform color, and not soft or mushy.
- Kumquats should have a natural fragrance; avoid those with strange odors or spots on the skin.
- It is best to buy kumquats from reputable sources with clear origins and quality assurance.
Where to buy lemon basil?
- Lemon basil can be purchased at large markets, traditional medicine shops, or e-commerce websites at prices ranging from 20,000 VND – 50,000 VND/1kg (prices updated on 05/01/2021).
How to make kumquat syrup with rock sugar
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Prepare the ingredients
Pick the leaves of the lemon basil, discard any damaged leaves, then wash thoroughly and soak in diluted salt water for about 20 minutes for disinfection.
After soaking the lemon basil for about 20 minutes, rinse with clean water, let it drain, and then crush it finely.
Wash the kumquats, soak in diluted salt water for about 20 minutes, then take them out, rinse with clean water, and let them drain.
Once the kumquats are drained, cut them in half and set them aside.
Peel the ginger, wash it clean, let it drain, and then crush it finely.
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Extracting Kumquat Juice
After cutting the kumquats in half, squeeze through a strainer to obtain the juice.
Tip:
- Removing the seeds from the kumquats will help prevent the kumquat syrup from being bitter.
- However, kumquat seeds also have many health benefits. So consider your purpose for use to find the most reasonable approach.
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Cooking Syrup
Add the squeezed kumquat peels, kumquat juice, 1kg of rock sugar, crushed Vietnamese balm leaves, crushed ginger into the pot, then mix well and let it sit for about 1 hour until the sugar completely dissolves.
Place the pot on the stove, boil until the mixture is fully boiling, then reduce to low heat, cover, and continue to cook for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, uncover and continue to simmer on low heat until the mixture reduces and becomes slightly sticky, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
Tip:
- You should cook the syrup on low heat so that it thickens slowly, avoiding cooking on high heat which will cause the syrup to thicken too quickly and absorb less of the ingredients.
- Do not add plain water to the mixture as this will cause the syrup to spoil quickly and not be preserved for long.
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Completion
After the syrup has cooled, use a sieve to filter out the syrup liquid. Then, pour the syrup into a glass jar, and store it in the fridge refrigerator. When using, take the syrup out, mix it with a little warm water, and it can be used right away.
Tip: The leftover syrup residue after filtering should be kept and stored in the fridge; it can be used directly or mixed with syrup, which is very delicious and good for health.
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Final product
The kumquat syrup after completion has an attractive color and a natural fragrance. In particular, this drink is effective for treating cough, expelling phlegm, and has many health benefits.
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I hope that through the 3 ways to make drinks from lemongrass and kumquat and honey above, you will be able to easily make these beverages. Be quick to save the recipes now. Wishing you success!
