There's nothing quite like a cold, refreshing drink to combat the hot weather our islands have to endure during the summer months. The following 5 recipes are not only invigorating and a heaven for the tastebuds - they also have an element of Malteseness!

 

Watermelon Lemonade

Preparing watermelon lemonade is pretty simple, but the end result is as refreshing as it gets!

Blend half a normal-sized watermelon until it's liquidised, and then strain it to discard the watermelon flesh and seeds. This way, you should get around 4 cups of watermelon juice, which you can pour into a pitcher.

Set the watermelon juice pitcher aside. Juice 4 large lemons (about 1 cup of lemon juice). Strain the lemon juice and add it to the pitcher. Add 4 to 6 cups of water, still or sparkling, and stir in 1 cup of sugar to sweeten the juice mix. To serve, all you need is ice and some fresh mint leaves to garnish.

 

Homemade iced tea

You can make iced tea anywhere in the world. But there's one Maltese ingredient you can add to give it a truly local twist!

Pour 4 cubes of boiling water over 2 teabags, into a heat-proof pitcher. Leave it for a maximum of 5 minutes. Remove the teabags and add some sugar to sweeten the tea. Freshen up your sweetened tea by stirring in 6 cups of ice cubes until they melt, or else just pour in 4 cups of cold water.

Then comes the Maltese touch - pour some Kinnie into the mixture (if you're a Kinnie lover, of course), and add in freshly cut lemon or orange slices for the perfect citrus zing. Lastly, refrigerate your pitcher before serving. And there you have it - homemade iced tea with Maltese character!

 

Summer fruit smoothie

Last summer, we shared some tantalising yet healthy smoothie ideas using local produce. We especially love the Perfectly Peachy recipe! A tasty combination of peach and almonds, you should try making this smoothie for breakfast or lunch on a hot day.

Soak around 10 almonds in room-temperature water overnight. Leave 2 tablespoons of oats in 2 tablespoons of hot water for 15 minutes until they soften. Place the almonds and oats in a blender together with 2 peaches, a cup of almond milk and ice cubes. Before blending everything, you could also add other natural ingredients to sweeten the mixture, such as a teaspoon of honey.

 

Almond Ruġġata

Speaking of almonds, ruġġata is an unmistakable Maltese classic. Place 5 cups of water, 600g of sugar, the rind of one lemon, 12 cloves and 2 sticks of cinnamon into a pot and let everything boil. Reduce the heat and let the mix simmer for 15 minutes then remove it from the heat. Once it cools down, strain it to remove the lemon rind and the cloves.

Finally, add a teaspoon of vanilla essence and 2 teaspoons of almond essence. Finish off your ruġġata with a quarter cup of evaporated milk. And of course, don't forget to dilute with cold water when you pour the mix into your glass!

 

Maltese iced coffee

There are many different ways you can make a cup of coffee more Maltese. But since we're such a coffee-loving nation, why not make an iced version to enjoy during summer?

Prepare around 200ml of strong black coffee, and allow it to cool completely before pouring it into a blender. Add 50ml of milk, along with 2 handfuls of ice cubes and some locally produced honey, and blend everything until the mixture becomes smooth and foamy. Pour your iced coffee mix into a chilled glass and enjoy the refreshing kick.

 

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Keeping food and drinks cold is essential for any Maltese home, especially in summer. If you need to update your current fridge to something more modern and reliable, get in touch with any of the Domestic Appliances stores listed on Yellow.

Discover local drinks whilst discovering local businesses - always use yellow.com.mt!