In this recipe, basil is crushed with sugar to release the oils. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, process the basil, sugar, and about 1/4 cup of the water in a food processor or blender.
It is pretty refreshing. I made a half-recipe and added lemon balm and lemon mint since my kitchen garden needed some pruning back anyway. It's not the transparent pink of the picture but it looks just fine.
This is a great way to use any leftover purple basil. We enjoyed it the day we made it, but was a bit tart so the rest stayed in our fridge for awhile till we threw it out. Probably better for parties.
Like the flavor; it's quite refreshing because it's not too sweet. the color is a little more muddy than the picture shows, so it's not particularly appetizing to look at, but tastes & smells delicious. We added a little mango rum & it added a perfect amount of sweet, too.
