Turkish homemade limonata often draws flavor from both lemon juice and the yellow peel. Mint is a familiar addition in Turkish lemonade recipes. This measured version uses a short cold infusion and leaves out the bitter white pith.
Naneli Limonata — Recipe Card
Fresh lemon lemonade infused with mint
Makes 6 servings · About 1.2–1.3 litres (5–5½ US cups); six small servings of about 200–215 ml (⅚–⅞ US cup).US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Naneli Limonata
Release the lemon aroma
Wash and scrub the lemons under running water before zesting and juicing. Measure the zest and juice separately. Rub the zest into the sugar with clean fingertips for 2 minutes until fragrant and slightly damp.
Infuse the mint
Reserve six small mint leaves from the measured mint for serving. Mix the remaining leaves, lemon juice and 200 ml (⅚ US cup) of the measured water into the sugar. Stir thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Strain and chill
Add the remaining 800 ml (3⅓ US cups) water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing lightly; discard the solids. Pour into a clean covered pitcher and chill for at least 60 minutes, until cold. Keep the reserved mint covered and refrigerated too.
Serve
Stir the lemonade before pouring into six small glasses. Add one reserved mint leaf to each. The unadjusted batch makes about 1.2–1.3 litres (5–5½ US cups).
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-mint-lemonade-naneli-limonata. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Dietary notes
The base is vegan and contains no gluten-containing ingredients. Use plain sugar, fresh lemon and mint rather than flavored drink mixes.
Flavor balance
Lemon tartness varies. Taste after chilling; if too sharp, stir in 50–100 ml (3 tbsp plus 1 tsp to ⅖ US cup) extra cold water. This increases the yield and makes the flavor lighter.
Mint handling
Use fresh mint leaves, not dried mint or concentrated peppermint extract. The brief infusion gives an aroma without turning the drink into a green blended juice.
How to store and reheat Naneli Limonata
Keep covered at 4°C (40°F) or below and use within 2 days. Use clean glasses and refrigerate promptly after pouring. Do not leave the drink out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C (90°F). Fresh lemon juice does not make this a shelf-stable drink.
Naneli Limonata: questions and answers
Why is the lemonade cloudy?
Fine lemon particles and aromatic peel oils can remain after straining. Some settling is normal; stir before serving.
Can I use less sugar?
For a less sweet version, use 90 g (3.2 oz) sugar instead of 120 g (4.2 oz). Keep the other quantities and method the same; the result will taste noticeably tarter.
