Lemongrass Limeade - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 stalk lemongrass
3 inches piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
5 1/2 cups water
10 to 12 limes, juice of

Preparation

Take one stalk of lemongrass and trim to 6 inches and remove the dry outer layer. Place stalk on a cutting board and use the flat side of a heavy knife to crush it enough to release its fragrant oils. Cut the lemongrass into 1-inch lengths.
Combine the lemongrass, ginger, sugar, and 1 cups of the water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Remove the syrup from the heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Strain it into a pitcher. Discard the ginger and the lemon grass.
Add the lime juice and the remaining 41/2 cups water to the pitcher. Chill for 25 minutes. Serve over ice.