Have you ever heard of the vinegar lemonade recipe that was used on the Oregon Trail for survival?
Turns out, the Emigrants that were traveling the Oregon Trail needed to consume vitamin C in order to prevent scurvy. This was easier said than done. Fruits and vegetables didn’t come by very often. However, Apple Cider Vinegar was one of the few resources they could get their hands on most of the time, and it’s loaded with Vitamin C.
Who would have thought even lemonade can be a survival recipe for those under certain conditions? Let’s start going over the how-to of this recipe.
Ingredients
This recipe is very basic as most lemonade is basic. It has just three ingredients:
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Sugar
- Water
- Lemon Extract (optional)
- Vinegar (optional)
That’s it, short and sweet. The lemon extract is optional. Add some if you want more of the lemonade flavor. Ginger is optional as well. If you want to benefit from all the medicinal properties that come with ginger, add that as well.
Instructions
Start by filling a gallon-sized container with water. Filtered water is ideal.
Add 2/3 cups of apple cider vinegar and 2/3 cups of sugar.
For sugar, evaporated can juice is preferred. This form of sugar contains minerals like iron, as well as molasses. If you’re going to consume sugar, try to consume it in the most natural form you can get your hands on.
Honey can be used instead of sugar. Add 1/2 cup of honey.
For apple cider vinegar, Bragg is a quality brand to pick up. If you have a local farm nearby, check with them in the fall. Some farms offer to come to pick up a fresh bottle of it.
Ginger can be picked up at Whole Foods or local farmers’ markets. If you choose to add vinegar, use raw vinegar. You don’t need much of it, for a gallon of vinegar lemonade, you only need a 2-4 inch knob. Grating the ginger is the best method for adding it into the mixture.
If you want to add lemon extract, try to find an extract without any added artificial ingredients. If not, you can always take a lemon, add lemon juice and grate some of the peel as well.
Instructions
- Add the water
- Add the ginger to the vinegar-lemonade.
- Let steep for half an hour.
- Refrigerate.
Conclusion
This makes for the perfect drink to keep your vitamin C levels up to bar just like they did on the Oregon Trail.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe post on how to make the vinegar lemonade recipe from Oregon Trail. You might also want to see the ash cake recipe and the Revolutionary War Fire Cake recipe.
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