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Lemonades won't put the squeeze on homemade

By KATHY SAUNDERS
Published April 27, 2005

Lemonade seemed like a no-brainer. Make it a little sweet, a little tart and make it yellow, and consumers will buy it. That may be true, judging from the variety of lemonades available at local groceries. But our panelists will take the time to squeeze their own lemons in the future.

Taster's Choice sampled 11 lemonades, some chilled at the store and the others refrigerated before they were served.

"The color could use some sunshine," said one panelist. Two of the four judges said they would buy Newman's if they were in the market for store-bought.

The other samplings didn't get much better.

Sunny D (2.99), a drink that I tell my children goes with dessert and not lunch, scored 29. This one had better color but a very sweet, almost artificial flavor, according to three of the four panelists. One said she would buy the Sunny D. Another described the flavor as having a "fake chlorine taste." Not great praise for a product that finished second out of 11.

Florida's Natural ($2) and Hawaiian Punch ($1.53) tied for third with 23 points each.

Florida's Natural brand was very tart. "Pucker up!" said one panelist. Only one judge said she would buy it. The others declined. Panelists gave the same responses when asked if they would buy Hawaiian Punch lemonade.

Hawaiian Punch was too sweet for three of the judges. But the color was the real turnoff. Two of them described it as "neon."

"Boo," said another. Instead of rating it by numbers, he gave it an "L" for loser.

The lemonade sampling was one of the most disappointing taste tests our judges have conducted. If lemonades were tart, they were often bitter. If they were sweet, they were sickeningly so. Our panelists decided the homemade stuff is worth the effort.

Also sampled were: Gatorade ($5.19), Kash n' Karry Natural ($.99), Good Day ($1.19), Tropicana ($1.25), Minute Maid ($1.09), Country Time ($1.39) and Crystal Light ($2).

Panelists were: Jim Yockey, aesthetician, Tierra Verde Salon and Day Spa; personal chef Julie Overton; Bob Devin Jones, artistic director of Studio@620 and Nan Jensen, registered and licensed dietitian with Pinellas County Extension. All products were tasted blind.

Send suggestions for product testing to Taste section, St. Petersburg Times, 490 First Ave. S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 or e-mail them to krieta@sptimes.com Please put TEST SUGGESTION in the subject line.

No.1: Newman's Own.

No.2: Sunny D.

No.3: (tie) Florida's Natural, Hawaiian Punch.

[Last modified April 26, 2005, 12:21:04]