Squashed | Blue Curaçao Lemonade

The story of our mangi-ferra would be a repetition so I will cut short to the bit where it squashed us.

Our front and back yards were flanked with mango trees, there were years of abundance. Green sweet as sugar mangoes in the front while the sour sweet red hued mangoes in the backyard. We ate, we shared and we pickled. Few remained as scapegoats to be squashed. A brilliant idea that I would laud with caution. We grew up drinking various kinds of squash especially the Kissan ones, the orange one was my favourite. Rasna somehow never pleased my folks so I never got a chance to taste it.

Imagine home-grown mangoes and a squash to go with it. Yum ….BUM!

The tireless hands of my mother pulping the mangoes while we nibbled on the skeletal seeds. Such a joyful exercise. Then the process of boiling, equal parts water, sugar and citric acid to form the thick syrup and then blended with the mango puree yielded the squash. The best bit was tasting when we stood with our glasses filled with 1/4 squash and some ice-cold water. It was drained in one go with no breaks for gulping.

The excitement on my mums face was noteworthy. Her first batch was shared with her friends and neighbours everybody going ga-ga over it during evening snacks. A few claimed for moms way to fame and that she should start marketing it, doubled the pride of my mum. She made some exciting calls to my grandma and aunts and spoke in detail about the success of her trails with squash. Everybody pleaded to get some potion of this divine liquid. So my mother decided to carry bottles to her native for our summer vacation.

She bought these brand new Pearlpet bottles and bottled the squash with absolute precision. It was peak summer and we used the country bus to travel to our grandparents home. It was a 8 hour rickety ride to the hometown. Trailing busy highways, steaming sun and deep ghats but it was a different adventure we looked out for. The luggage was carefully stuffed in the basement of the bus. While my mum’s “dear squash” sat huddled between our legs for careful supervision. It was a sweaty sunny day and the bus stopped at regular intervals for tea and snacks. While the tea brewed at the nearby stall stove there was something else brewing inside the bus.

Much to our ignorance, squashes are meant to be refrigerated.

The big thumb rule for fermentation is released sugars will get acidulated and release the gases. The process of fermentation had set in catalysed by the mid afternoon sun. The countdown had started……10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1………we stepped into the bus and the plastic cap blew out and the squash rocket launched into the space above. My mother looked shocked and tearful. The next 20 minutes were gone in cleaning our seats and wherever the squash had splattered.

We set forth on our  journey and my mother was quiet the whole way as she saw the dreams of her venture go away into C02 fumes. Sadly, she never made the squash again. 🙁

Spending my life in the UK, I have never been a big Robinson fan either probably because of its artificial sweetening. I prefer the freshly cocktail-ed drinks or spritzers over preserved ones. A very big time hit at my home is the Blue Curaçao Lemonade and during summers it is definitely served for my parties. The colour compliments the season and it truly transcends you to Malibu. 🙂

Blue Curaçao its name comes from a Caribbean island and its colour (deep blue) evokes the blue seas it has crossed. It has a unique orange flavour which is attributed to its blend of herbs, sweet red oranges,Curacao oranges, minnow oranges. For years it has been a bartenders best kept secrets. 

There are two versions to the same thing. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic!!

I also graduated to making my own Photoshop filters and the one used in this one, I call it the pink flurry. Amazing learning curve…..