So, I decided what better way to live up a long weekend than with LIMEADES!!! Here's the recipe, followed by how I burned my eyes in the process.
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Pepper-Mint Limeade
Ingredients
- 4 limes, juiced
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 sprigs fresh mint
- 1/2 gallon water
- 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, sliced
Directions
- In a large pitcher, stir together the lime juice and sugar until dissolved
- Stir in mint sprigs, and mash with a wooden spoon to release some of the oils
- Pour in water, and mix well
- Mix in jalapeno slices
- Put a lid on the pitcher, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
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Now here's how I executed the simple recipe:
Juice 4 limes: I cut the limes in half, and once I tried hand squeezing the first half I realized I need to invest in a juicer. Anyways, I proceeded to hand-juice all 4 limes...my hand still is a little cramped.
Add the mint: We had fresh mint leaves from our CSA pick-ups (YAY!!!) so I "did the mohito" (minus the booty dancing) and crushed them up in the pitcher with my wooden spoon.
Adding the jalapenos: I sliced up the jalapenos, but I took the seeds out since I didn't want those in my drink.
Then I let it marinate in the fridge, washed my hands, and moved onto dinner.
And then it happened....
I went to wipe my eye, and realized not all the jalapeno juice was off my hands. So my eyes felt like this:
Gross, I know - but it explains the best how it felt
I raced to the bathroom in pain, and since I didn't have an eye shower (think back to high school science class) I just kept rinsing my eye by splashing water into it. Now, if you don't me...I wear contacts. Which means, I need to take my lens out quick - WITH MY JALAPENO INFESTED HANDS! So I suck it up, pop it out quick (hurting like H.E.L.L) and continued rinsing my eye out. Once my eye felt HALFWAY decent, I rewashed my hands a few more times. I didn't even TRY taking out my other contact lens, which means I felt like a pirate. One contact in, one contact out. Not very fun.
By the time I went to bed, and took out my other lens, the jalapeno infestation had died down some - but not completely, so my OTHER eye stung a little when taking it out.
This morning I had to put my contacts BACK in (don't worry - I threw last night's away and used new ones). I figured after a shower my hands would be fine.
W.R.O.N.G. My eyes stung as the lens went in, so I popped it back out and researched the internet.
"How to get jalapeno juice off your hands" is what I typed into google. The answer? USE GLOVES WHEN CUTTING JALAPENOS! Ugh. Good to know that NOW! So I used lemon juice, then dish washing soap, then covered my hands with contact solution while I put in my contacts. It worked enough that I am able to see at work right now (didn't work enough to where I'm still scared to touch any part of my face for fear of jalapeno-inflammation!).
Before I went to work, I did try the limeade. Whew - that thing has a kick harder than when I was still breaking boards in Karate class! I'm gonna take out the jalapenos once I get home, and add some more water - hopefully that'll be less powerful. But for those who like hot stuff - YOU WOULD LOVE THIS! For those that don't (like me) - use MAYBE half a jalapeno.
Lesson learned: When dealing with jalapenos, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS wear gloves (unless you're a masochist).
There ya go, and happy 4th! This weekend I am going to try my first TRIFLE(!!) and it'll be awfully patriotic.
Enjoy! - apes -
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