1. Freezing really works! The trick is to seal-a-meal the sour mix to keep it fresh. We buy cases (yes cases!) of lemons and limes around January when the citrus is at its best (and least expensive) and squeeze a gallon a night. Pour them into 2 cup plastic containers. Freeze those. Then the next night transfer the frozen “golden bricks” into a seal-a-meal bag. The golden bricks will last for a year! Come home from work and drop a golden brick (still in the seal a meal bag) into a sink of warm water and a few minutes later you make a fresh squeezed margarita. It’s magic!

2. Nutrasweet works great! I’ve tried different sugar substitutes and keep coming back to nutrasweet. You don’t need to make a simple syrup, just add the powder straight into the sour mix, shake and it dissolves well (unlike sugar). 1 Packet of Nutrasweet is about as sweet as 2tsp of sugar. Adjust sweetness to taste.

3. The right tequila makes a difference. I’ve tried them all and keep coming back to Sauza Gold. Of course, this is personal preference.

The recipe calls for cups, but you can use whatever size measuring device you want.

For a single, use a shot glass.

6 shots tequila
2½ shots triple sec
2½ shots fresh lime juice
2½ shots fresh lemon juice
2 shots simple syrup

You get the idea.

Anyway, 6 of us did blind taste tests. The overwhelming winner was Lefty O’douls Key Lime Margarita Mix. Good blend of citrus, and the real key limes add the right amount of tart. The other mixes seemed really sweet in comparison.

Sometimes, I’d just like to kick back after work and have a couple – but not a GALLON!!! Thanks!

Raspberry-Lime Rickey Margaritas
2 bottles raspberry tequila (Cuervo Tradicional Silver 100% agave infused for two weeks with 2 pints raspberries per bottle)
1 bottle citrus vodka (Smirnoff 80 proof infused for two weeks with orange, lemon and lime zest)
6 cups fresh squeezed lime juice
2 cups agave syrup (the extra sweetness makes up for the lack of sweetness in the citrus vodka vs. Cointreau)

I’ve been experimenting with infusions this spring. Another winner was mango-habanero tequila (3 peppers and 1.5 pounds mango per bottle).

I know, I know… it won’t taste as glorious as your recipe above… however, my friends and myself have had gastric bypass surgery and cannot have all the sugar. It makes us very sick.

Thanks for the recipe!

I used 12 big limes and 10 large lemons juiced with a wooden reamer. The lemons I got were huge but mostly rind so that was a bummer. It did not take much time at all to juice them so don’t be afraid to try this if you don’t have an electric juicer.

I did go to a Latina market and the produce was half the price of my regular market so thanks to the person who suggested that.

I’m a wine drinker and rarely partake of spirits so am ignorant of tequilas but do know this one does not burn when you take a shot, has a nice viscosity and a nice nose. I used Lunazle 100% agave, at $16.50 a fifth. It’s not Patron and doesn’t pretend to be. It is good in this margarita. For Triple Sec, I used DeKuyper’s, just standard but in this recipe it’s good.

If I was working and money wasn’t an option, I’d try some of the better tequilas and triple secs but alas, I’m a stay at home mom for now.

This batch cost about $45 buying two fifths of tequila, one of triple sec and the fruits.

Thanks Jeffery!

To make virgin ones, leave out the tequila.