by Aby Chalmers
7th November 2025
Breakfast & Drinks
Naturally Fermented Limeade
Our Tahitian lime tree is around eight years old now and after a few fickle years where fruit production seemed quite random, it has finally grown into an abundant source of food, with a constant rhythm of flowering and fruiting that leaves us with some limes for most of the year, with the peak running from late winter through to early summer. At this point in the season the fruit are no longer green, instead they have turned a cool yellow - a sign they are at there absolute juiciest.
I’m sure you know by now I despise wasting any produce that comes out of my garden, so my aim is always to make sure every fruit, berry and vegetable I grow gets completely utilised. That is why this naturally fermented limeade is being made on repeat; now that the weather has begun to heat up it is easy to ferment, and it is a welcome and delicious drink to have on hand after a busy day out in the garden.
The drink is made bubbly through lacto-fermentation, boosted from the addition of whey - a byproduct of straining unsweetened yoghurt to make Greek yoghurt or labneh (find a labneh recipe here - this will give you the whey as well as a tasty yoghurt cheese. If you haven’t tried making labneh yet you need to!)
The bacteria in the whey turns the sugars into lactic acid which makes the drink slightly fizzy - although it does get fizzier, even in the fridge. This fermentation process also means it is full of healthy probiotics - beneficial bacteria that support digestion, strengthen your immune system, and help maintain a healthy, balanced gut.
Naturally Fermented Limeade
The following recipe is very adaptable; you could just use lemon juice, or, like I do sometimes, you could use a mixture of lemon and lime. We have a young lemonade tree too which is slowly beginning to give us fruit, so sometimes I add the juice of some of them, and I have even added juiced grapefruit; just make sure you have 2 cups of juice all up.
You can use the sugar straight or a mixture of sugar and honey. Remember that the bacteria in the lactic acid feeds on the sugar, so you won’t be consuming as much sugar as what goes in.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of raw sugar OR 3/4 cup raw sugar and 1/2 cup honey
1 cup of water (first measure of water)
2 cups lime juice (or a mixture of lemon and lime)
3 litres (second measure of water)
3/4 cup whey (this labneh recipe made from strained yoghurt will give you whey as a byproduct)
Method
Take the sugar - or the mix of sugar and honey - and place it with the first measure of water into a pot. Heat gently, mixing, until the sugar is dissolved. Take off the heat.
Sterilise a 5L or 10L food grade bucket and lid, by pouring and swilling boiling water in and over them.
Pour the second measure of water into the bucket, then add the lime juice and the sugar/water mixture.
Stir well, ensuring the hot sugar liquid is stirred in so the extreme heat doesn’t affect the bacteria in the whey. Pour the whey in and stir once more.
Loosely cover the bucket with the sterilised lid so it is just sitting on top to cover. Place at warm room temp away from direct sunlight (I have an area in my kitchen that is warm but not hot which works well for fermentation. During the warmer months most kitchens will be the right temperature).
Leave for 3 - 4 days to ferment, stirring a couple of times each day to keep the bacteria active. Make sure you use a clean spoon, and loosely replace the lid each time.
After 3 days taste the drink - some sweetness should have gone and you will notice a bit of a fizz. Alternatively, you might see small bubbles on the surface of the liquid. When you notice any of these things, your limeade is ready to bottle.
Pour into clean plastic or glass bottles, ensuring you leave a gap at the top to allow for expansion.
You can begin drinking your limeade from the following day, and it will last for at least a couple of weeks.
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