Homemade, Fermented Raspberry Lemonade

My husband was raving the other day about a raspberry lemonade he had tasted... so, I went to the store and looked at the ingredients label of the brand he indicated.  What a waste of lemons and raspberries!  The second ingredient was sugar, and it was (of course) pasteurized and had been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long.  My solution:  make my own! 

My first thought (as I schemed while driving home) was that I would make it fermented, with very little sugar in the finished product.  I already had some organic, frozen raspberries from our local Publix and whey left over from some raw milk that had soured.  I happen to LOVE the "Punch" recipe in Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon,  so I had a good recipe to tweak.

Here's my recipe for delicious- and nutritious- homemade raspberry lemonade:

juice of 7 organic lemons
1c + fresh or frozen organic raspberries, pureed with a little filtered water **
1/2 c organic evaporated cane juice
1/4 c whey
filtered water

That's it!  Just mix the ingredients (except water) together in a 2 quart canning jar and fill with water to about 1" from the top.  Secure lid and let it ferment on the counter for 48 hours (this should not need to be "burped" as citrus ferments slower than other fruit, but you may want to check at the 24 hour mark).  Strain out the pulp and seeds when the 48 hours is up, then stick in the fridge to chill!

It has been hot around here lately, and it will probably stay that way through November. So, we will be drinking this well into fall!  Enjoy!

**UPDATE:  This also works wonderfully with blueberries or strawberries instead of raspberries :)