Pineapple Lemonade

A simple two-stage cooler: a sugar syrup carries the fruit, and the dilution happens at the end with ice-water. Nothing here is difficult, but a few of the quantities need translating.

• The can of pineapplePeriod canned pineapple came in several sizes; a No. 2 can (about 20 oz) is a reasonable guess for what is meant here. A modern 20 oz can of crushed pineapple in juice is a close match; a 14-15 oz can will work but the drink will taste more of lemon.
• Boiling the syrupTen minutes at a full boil will reduce a pint of water noticeably and thicken the syrup. Five minutes of gentle boiling is enough to dissolve the sugar fully and keeps the volume closer to what the recipe assumes.
• Lemon juiceExpect about 1/2 cup of juice from three modern lemons; measure rather than count if you want consistency.
• Add the juices off the heatThe recipe adds pineapple and lemon juice once the syrup is made, then cools it; it does not say whether the pan is off the burner. Prolonged heat dulls citrus, so pulling the pan before the juices go in is the safer reading.
• StrainingStraining removes the pineapple fibre, which otherwise settles and clings to the glass. Press the pulp against the sieve to recover the syrup, or leave the pulp in if you prefer a thicker drink.
• Ice-waterA quart of ice-water means cold water, not water plus a quart of ice cubes. Chill the syrup first, then dilute, so melting ice does not thin it further.
• YieldRoughly 2 to 2 1/2 quarts, or six to eight glasses. It keeps two or three days covered in the refrigerator; dilute to taste.