Jus De Citron – Haitian Lemonade

Jus De Citron – A trip to Haiti would be nice right now, but this refreshing Haitian Lemonade will put you in the Caribbean mood right in your own home. 

We initially participated in the 2020 Juneteenth Cookout Takeover. This initiative was established to encourage the celebration of Juneteenth – a jubilee of freedom to commemorate the end of slavery – and to amplify the food traditions of black culinary creatives. 

 Juneteenth (a merge of the words/date June Nineteenth) marks the date in 1865 that the last enslaved people learned of their freedom.  

And for over 150 years since, Black American families, home cooks, chefs, and culinarians have commemorated the summer holiday with a wide range of food traditions that tell a story of the perseverance of a people.

Haitian Lemonade is a delightful twist to our classic homemade lemonade recipes found here in the States.

Infused with vanilla extract, this fragrant drink can be served elegantly at a dinner party, or special occasion, and is perfect to enjoy on a warm day throughout summer or all year around.

The handcrafted drink is easy to make for guests and or to enjoy with fried plantains. 

This jus de citron drink combines a variety of flavors into one which is nicely balanced with sweetness, a hint of salt to balance out the sweetness, and slightly tart all at once. 

It is especially refreshing when the weather is warm and the glass is loaded with ice.

 Typically, the lemons are hand squeezed. But to save time I recommend using a lemon squeezer. 

What Makes This Jus De Citron Different

• This recipe only takes 6 ingredients and a few minutes to make.
• The vanilla extract gives this lemonade a refreshing fragrance.
• The sugar and salt combination provides a generous balance.
• It is especially delicious if mint is added to the glass, further complimenting the vanilla extract. 

Ingredients Used To Make This Haitian Lemonade

There’s just a handful of ingredients in this Haitian lemonade recipe and it’s super easy to make. The full step-by-step instruction is found in the recipe card below. 

• Fresh Lemon Juice: Always use freshly squeezed lemons. This will provide with you the freshest flavor. 
• Sugar: Alternatively, you can use honey to make it “slightly healthy-ish”.
• Salt: This helps to balance out the sugar. 
• Vanilla Extract: Although vanilla extract is commonly used in baking cookies and cakes, when used with lemon, like in this Haitian lemonade recipe, the vanilla extract will help to bring out the bitter/tart acidic flavor. 
• Water: You’ll need the water to dilute the extra fresh flavor from the lemon. Plus, this helps you make the drink in abundance. 
• Ice: Can’t forget the ice! It’s needed to chill the lemonade for that uber refreshing sip and it will also help balance the sugar intake as it will help water down the lemonade.

More Refreshing Drinks You’ll Love

Orange Infused Water

Mango Lemonade

Blueberry Milkshake

Serving Suggestions

This lemonade is a satisfying drink on its own, but it goes well with all sorts of main dishes and sides, too. Some of our favorites are listed below:

Haitian Meatballs

Haitian Legume

Haitian Chicken Tacos

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