Live the Live ™

My raspberry plants are producing a ton of fruit, my mint plants are taking over the yard, and my neighbor has her little blueberry cart out by the street! It’s time to make mojitos!

Very often, I’ll use raspberries alone, but mojitos are even better when you combine the raspberries with blueberries. I have a few blueberry bushes in my yard, but it seems that the birds get to them before I even get a chance. Fortunately, my neighbor puts a little farm stand up in front of her home, so I stock up on blueberries, rinsing them and placing them in plastic bags that go in the freezer until I’m ready to make my mojitos….or smoothies, if I’m feeling particularly healthy.

Store-bought frozen fruit works well, too, so if you don’t have a farm stand down the road, don’t feel like you can’t make this fabulous cocktail. Just make sure you’re using organic fruit. Pesticides should never be a cocktail ingredients!  Once you make mojitos by the pitcher, you’ll never have them any other way. (Even if you’re drinking alone!)

Make ahead of time…
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed lime juice
1 1/3 cups turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw is a common brand)

Mix both ingredients together, letting it stand at room temperature for a few minutes. I like to combine them in a Mason jar, then shake really hard until the sugar has dissolved. I keep it in the fridge, and it’s good for up to 3 weeks…ready to use any time. Shake it well again before using.

For the Mojitos…

1 cup sugar/lime mixture
1 cup mint leaves, packed
1/2 pint blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 pint raspberries (fresh or frozen)
3 or 4 cups white rum (I use Don Q Cristal rum)
3 or 4 cups club soda

Combine the mint leaves and 1/2 cup of the sugar/lime mixture in bottom of a pitcher. Muddle the mint up very well to release mint oils. Add the blueberries and continue to muddle.

Add the remaining sugar/lime mixture, rum and raspberries. Mix well. Just before serving, add the club soda and ice. Stir. Pour into tall glasses.

Or…for drinks one at a time, don’t add the club soda to the pitcher. Instead, fill a tall glass with ice. Fill it one-third to halfway with club soda, then top with the mojito mix. Garnish it with a mint leaf.

Cheers!