Alright, listen up, y’all! Let’s talk about this litchi water thing. I ain’t no fancy cook or nothin’, but I know what tastes good, and this here litchi water, well, it’s somethin’ else.
Now, I first got my hands on these litchi fruits… whatcha call ’em… from the market. Looked like little red bumpy balls, I tell ya. Never seen anythin’ like ’em before. Folks were sayin’ they’re sweet, so I figured, why not? Gotta try new things, right? Even if they look a bit… odd.
First thing I did was peel them. That skin, it ain’t nothin’ to mess with. Tough as an old boot, I tell ya. Had to use my nails, which ain’t pretty, mind you, but got the job done. Inside was this white, kinda see-through flesh, and a big ol’ seed. The seed, well, you don’t eat that. Learned that the hard way when I was a young’un with a peach pit. Don’t need a repeat of that, no sir!
So, I got all that fruit peeled and seeded. Took a while, I ain’t gonna lie. My hands got all sticky, but that’s alright. Sticky hands mean good eatin’s comin’. Now, some folks, they like to just eat the fruit as is. And it’s good that way, don’t get me wrong. Sweet and kinda tangy, like nothin’ I ever tasted. But me? I like to make it into a drink. Especially when it’s hot as blazes outside, nothin’ beats a cold drink, ya know?
Making litchi water ain’t rocket science, let me tell you. You take those peeled litchis, and you chop ‘em up. Not too big, mind you. Little pieces are better. Then you throw them in a pot. Any ol’ pot will do. Don’t go gettin’ all fancy on me now. We ain’t tryin’ to impress the Queen of England, just makin’ somethin’ tasty.
Then you add water. Just plain water. Don’t need nothin’ fancy there either. How much water? Well, that depends on how much litchi you got and how strong you want it. I like it kinda strong, so I don’t use too much water. But if you want it weaker, go ahead and add more. It ain’t gonna hurt nothin’.
Here’s what you gotta do, step-by-step, nice and easy:
- Get yourself some litchis. Make sure they ain’t all bruised and nasty.
- Peel them litchis. It’s a pain, but it’s gotta be done.
- Take out them seeds. You don’t wanna be chokin’ on no seeds.
- Chop them litchis into small pieces. Not too small, not too big.
- Put the chopped litchis in a pot. Any pot will do, I’m tellin’ ya.
- Add water. How much is up to you.
- Boil that pot. Let it simmer for a bit, until the litchis are all soft and the water’s got that nice pinkish color.
- Let it cool down. You don’t wanna burn your tongue off, now, do ya?
- Strain it. You can use a cloth or a strainer, whatever you got handy.
- And there you have it, litchi water!
Now, you boil that pot. Let it simmer for a while, maybe… oh, I don’t know… fifteen, twenty minutes? Until the litchis get all soft and the water turns this pretty pinkish color. Then you gotta let it cool down. Don’t go gulpin’ it down hot, you’ll burn your tongue off! Once it’s cooled, you strain it. I use an old piece of cloth, but you can use a strainer if you got one. Get all them litchi bits out, and all you got left is that sweet, delicious water.
Some folks like to add sugar. Me? I don’t think it needs it. Them litchis are sweet enough on their own. But if you got a sweet tooth, go ahead, add a little sugar. Or honey, if you’re fancy like that. It’s your litchi water, you do what you want with it.
And that’s all there is to it. Simple as pie, ain’t it? Nothin’ complicated, just good ol’ fashioned home-style drink. Perfect for a hot day, or any day, really. My grandkids, they love this stuff. Always beggin’ me to make it. And who am I to say no to them sweet little faces? So, go on, try it yourself. You won’t be disappointed. And if you are, well, don’t come complainin’ to me. I told you it was good!
Now, I heard tell there’s other ways to make litchi juice. Some folks use a juicer. Fancy contraption, that. I don’t have one of them things. Never needed it. My way works just fine, and it don’t cost an arm and a leg. You can even make litchi sorbet, whatever that is, sounds fancy, huh? But plain litchi water is good enough for me. Keeps things simple, you know?
Just remember, don’t eat them unripe litchis. Heard they can make you sick. Wait till they’re nice and red. And don’t go eatin’ too many, either. Anything too much ain’t good for ya, even somethin’ as tasty as litchi water.
So, there you have it. My simple way to make litchi water. Hope you enjoy it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go make myself another glass. All this talk about litchis made me thirsty!
Tags: [litchi, litchi water, litchi juice, homemade drink, summer drink, easy recipe, fruit, sweet, refreshing, beverage]
Discussion about this post