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Bahamian switcha
Key lime drink
Switcha: fresh key-lime lime-ade
On Bahamian porches and at Fish Fry stalls in Nassau, switcha is the everyday cooler: fresh key limes squeezed with sugar and cold water, stirred up in a big jug with plenty of ice. It's sharper and more fragrant than lemonade, and you'll see the lime halves floating in the jug. The usual mistake is putting sugar straight into cold water, where it sinks undissolved: make a quick syrup first. Chef's tip: drop a few squeezed lime halves into the jug for 10 minutes for extra aroma, then take them out before the pith turns it bitter.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Dissolve 4 oz sugar in ¾ cup hot water, stirring, to make a quick syrup. Cool.
5 minStep 2: Roll 15 key limes on the counter to loosen the juice, halve and squeeze them; you need about 150 ml juice. Keep a few halves.
5 minStep 3: Mix the juice, syrup and 5 cups cold water in a jug and add a few squeezed lime halves for 10 minutes, then remove them. Taste and add more sugar or lime as you like.
Step 4: Fill glasses with 10 ½ oz ice cubes and pour over the switcha.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bahamian switcha take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of key limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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