Orangeade
Have you ever tasted an ice-cold orangeade? The first time I tried a Southern Orangeade Recipe was nineteen years ago, right after we moved to North Carolina. We uprooted from the Midwest and settled in a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I had just given birth to my son Carson and had made a local friend who was also a new mommy. Once a week we would meet to stroll our little bundles around the downtown area of our tiny mountain town. This particular day was hot. As we passed by a diner, my friend asked, “Hey, you want to stop and get an Arn-gid?” Huh? A what?? I was still working my way through the Blue Ridge dialect, so it took a couple of tries before I realized she was saying Orange-Ade. wink I’ll never forget that funny conversation or the addictive beverage that followed!
Orangeade Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this fabulous Orangeade recipe!
Freshly squeezed orange juice – not the store-bought kind with added sugars. Sugar – we will be adding our own sugars to this drink. Water – to make the simple syrup. Fresh squeezed lemon juice – to complement the orange citrus. Vanilla extract – this gives it an old-fashioned taste. Salt – flavor enhancer. Club soda (or water) – depending on the type of drink you want to have.
How to Make Orangeade
A good Southern Orangeade Recipe relies on several key factors… First, like with lemonade, start with fresh juice, not the store-bought variety. I like to use ripe Navel oranges or Cara Cara oranges. Sometimes I use a combination of both!
Simple Syrup
Make a simple syrup using 1 part sugar to 1 part water. Warm the mixture to fully dissolve the sugar into the water. Add a little bit of lemon juice to the mix. You don’t want it to overpower the flavor of the fresh oranges, yet adding lemon will give the orangeade a little extra pop.
Extra Ingredients
My secret additions for the best homemade orangeade are to add a scant amount of vanilla extract, to give the southern orangeade recipe an old-fashioned soda fountain quality. Then add a pinch of salt to accentuate the natural flavors.
Club Soda or Water
Finally, pour in additional water. Or if you plan to serve this southern orangeade recipe right away, use club soda for a fizzy soda fountain-style orangeade. However, you can make it ahead, by just adding tap water. That’s it! This sweet invigorating beverage is a lovely diversion from lemonade and iced tea. It has such deep southern roots, one taste might entice you to call it Arn-gid as well, with a sweet southern drawl.
Looking for more Southern Recipes? Try These!
Perfect Chicken Fried Steak Recipe with Gravy Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin Fluffy Southern Cat Head Biscuits Southern Hummingbird Cake Cupcakes Cornmeal Cakes with Orange Syrup Southern Sweet Tea Sweet Tea from Gather for Bread
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