Since I embarked on this new writing/blogging career, I am so grateful for no longer feeling that stressed out, anxious, Sunday afternoon dread. Do you know what I mean? Those Sundays where you feel great in the morning and as the day goes on, you find your stomach in knots, your head aching, and your emotions on a downward tailspin? It’s just awful.
As a juxtaposition, I am immensely grateful for those Sundays spent kayaking in the ocean, under the warm sun, watching fish, stingrays, and manatees – paddling until my shoulders start to burn and my arms ache from the weight of the paddle. It’s a feeling that I adore. The only thing making this kind of ‘super’ Sunday even more ‘super’ is wrapping it up with a tasty, tropical, and fruity cocktail.
With just a bit of extra effort, using fresh fruit, and making a stevia simple syrup, this margarita recipe is off the charts with a fresh taste and lower sugar content.
TIPS ON HOW TO BUY THE BEST STRAWBERRIES
Think about the smell and taste of a perfectly ripe, juicy, sweet strawberry. It is that fresh, fruity, lusciousness that we want for these margaritas. Here are a few tips on how to buy the best strawberries at your grocery store:
- Look for consistently red berries. Strawberries do not continue to ripen once they are picked, so the berries with the white or green tops are not going to have the sweet flavor of berries that are red from stem to tip.
- Pick out plump berries. If they look shriveled or wrinkled, they aren’t as fresh as we want.
- If the berries have leaves, make sure to pick the berries that have the greenest, freshest looking leaves. If the leaves are not wilted, dry, or sad looking, it means the berry is fresh.
- Look for any mold in the box. You know the adage ‘one rotten apple ruins the whole barrel? Same is true for berries. If there is one moldy strawberry, the others are sure to become moldy very quickly.
- Try to buy local. If you live in Florida and the berries are shipped from California, it stands to reason that they are not going to be as fresh as the ones from the local farm up the road.
- Buy organic. Strawberries are on the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list of fruits we should buy organic. Do you really want to be eating all those pesticides? I didn’t think so.
If you’re able to find fresh key limes, their distinctive taste takes this margarita to a new level of deliciousness. The bottled key lime juice comes in a close second and is a must if you’re in a hurry. However, in a pinch, a fresh Persian lime will work, but use fresh and not the bottled lime juice. And just what is reconstituted lime juice anyway? Don’t use that. Ever.
WHAT ARE KEY LIMES ANYWAY?
- Key limes are smaller, more acidic, and juicier than Persian limes. They are also thinner skinned and have more seeds.
- Key limes are green when picked, but as they become riper, they take on a yellow hue and become much sweeter. The green key limes are prized for the high acid quality of their juice.
- Key limes pack a tart, sour, herbal flavor punch – much more so than Persian limes.
- Persian limes and Key limes can be used interchangeably, just be sure to measure by juice and not the number of limes. You will need about twice as many Key limes to equal the juice from a Persian lime.