Lemon Myrtle Punch
Author: Jan Sked
Published: Journal March 2016
Lemon Myrtle Backhousia citriodora
This is a small bushy tree with wonderfully lemon-scented foliage. In spring it is massed with heads of white flowers. In nature it is found in the coastal rainforests of southern Queensland from the New south Wales border to Mackay. It is an excellent tree for the garden. Will grow in sun or shade and is adaptable to most soils, but requires reasonable moisture.
The superb, lemon-scented leaves are used in many ways in cooking, and can be fresh or dried. They can be used to flavour tea, cordial, soups, sauces, desserts, cakes and biscuits and are excellent with fish dishes.
The following recipe is becoming very popular at SGAP gatherings in southern Queensland.
LEMON MYRTLE PUNCH
2 litre bottle of ginger ale
2 litre bottle of lemonade
1 can of tropical fruit punch
1 can of tropical fruit salad (optional)
1 litre bottle of orange/mango juice
2 litres of lemon myrtle sugar syrup
To make lemon myrtle sugar syrup:
Put 2.5 litres of hot water and 2½ cups of sugar into a large saucepan and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add about 40 lemon myrtle leaves. Then bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to sit until cool. When syrup has cooled, remove the lemon myrtle leaves and pour syrup into a large bottle or sealable container and store in refrigerator.
To make punch:
Mix all ingredients together in a punch bowl or bucket. Add ice cubes just before serving.
A simpler thirst quencher can be made by combining the lemon myrtle syrup with lime-flavoured soda water or lemonade or ginger ale.
