Limoen-Drank, ( Limonade )
"Lime Drink (Lemonade)"
From the treasured pages of Het Hollands, of Neederlands kook-boek
Unknown Author
Limoen-Drank, ( Limonade )
"Hebt ses Citroenen, drukt 'er het Zap uit; doet ze in een Kom; doet 'er het Zap van drie Oranjen-Appelen by, de halve schil van een Citroen, en de halve van een Oranjen-Appel: doet 'er een Pint Water by met een half pond Suiker: giet het dikwils uit het eene Vat in 't andere over, tot dat de Suiker is gesmolten; dit gedaan zynde, zoo giet het door een schoon Servet, en laat het koud werden. Daar zynder die om een meer verheven geur en smaak aan hunne Limonade te geven, daar Amberdegrys of Muskes by doen, onder een weinig Suiker in den Vyzel gewreven."
English Translation
"Take six lemons, squeeze out their juice; put it in a bowl; add the juice of three oranges, the peel of half a lemon, and the peel of half an orange: add a pint of water with half a pound of sugar: pour it frequently from one container into another, until the sugar is dissolved; once this is done, strain it through a clean cloth, and let it cool. There are those who, to give their lemonade a more refined fragrance and taste, add ambergris or musk, ground in a mortar with a little sugar."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in the direct, instructive style of early 18th-century Dutch cookbooks, using practical household measures such as 'pint' and 'half pond'. Spellings reflect old Dutch conventions ('Zap' for 'sap', 'Oranjen-Appelen' for oranges) and usage of long sentences divided by semicolons. Ingredient lists and stepwise instructions were not yet standardized, favoring a narrative flow that assumes practical experience from the reader.
Title
Het Hollands, of Neederlands kook-boek (1725)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1725
Publisher
J. du Vivie
Background
A delectable journey into 18th-century Dutch cuisine, this cookbook serves up traditional recipes, culinary wisdom, and a flavorful glimpse of the Netherlands’ rich gastronomic heritage.
Kindly made available by
Internet Archive
This recipe comes from 'Het Hollands, of Neederlands kook-boek', published in 1725 in Leyden, Netherlands, during a time of great culinary curiosity and global trade. Lemonade in this era was considered both a refreshment and a health tonic, enjoyed by the middle and upper classes. The exotic touch of ambergris or musk—a legacy of trade with far-off lands—evokes the opulence of Dutch Golden Age society, where rare spices, scents, and sugars were prized luxury imports.
The drink would have been prepared using earthenware or ceramic bowls for juicing and mixing, a sturdy wooden press or simple reamer for extracting juice, mortars and pestles for grinding aromatic substances, and cloth napkins or linen (servets) for straining. Pouring back and forth between vessels mixed the sugar—a charming manual form of agitation.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Servings
6
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 6 lemons (juice and zest of 0.5 lemon)
- 3 oranges (juice and zest of 0.5 orange)
- 1 pint (16 fl oz) water
- 8 oz sugar
- Optional: tiny pinch finely ground ambergris or musk (substitute: drop of orange blossom water)
Instructions
- Juice six fresh lemons into a mixing bowl.
- Add the juice of three oranges (substitute 'oranjen-appelen' with modern sweet oranges).
- To intensify the aroma, add the zest of half a lemon and half an orange.
- Pour in about 1 pint (US) water (16 fluid ounces) and 8 ounces sugar.
- Mix thoroughly—traditionally, this meant pouring the mixture back and forth between two vessels, but a whisk will suffice today—until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Strain the mixture through a clean cloth or fine mesh to remove solids, then chill until cold.
- For a more luxurious version, crush a pinch of ambergris or musk with a little sugar in a mortar, and stir into the drink (substitute with a drop of orange blossom water for a similar effect).
- Serve cold.
Estimated Calories
110 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 10 minutes to juice the fruits, dissolve the sugar, and mix everything together. You don't need to cook anything. Each serving has about 110 calories based on the amount of fruit juice and sugar used. This recipe makes about 6 servings.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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