This perfect homemade lemonade recipe makes such a refreshing drink that you’ll want to prepare it every day of the year. So, for a cool glass of lemonade, just follow this quick and easy lemonade recipe. Keep in mind that using fresh lemons is most important, and there is no substitute for them.
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What are the 7 Steps of Making Lemonade?
The process of making lemonade can be broken down into 7 easy steps:
- Wash fresh lemons.
- Combine sugar and water.
- Bring the sugar and water mixture to a simmer over medium heat. When the sugar is completely dissolved (the mixture will be clear), remove from heat and set this simple syrup aside to cool.
- Cut the lemons in half and juice them. A lemon juicer (paid link) is handy to have!
- Add the lemon juice to a pitcher (paid link) of cold water.
- Add the simple syrup to the lemon juice mixture.
- Add ice and serve. Enjoy!
Is Lemonade a Healthy Drink?
Lemonade, particularly homemade from fresh lemons, has some healthy properties, due to the lemon juice:
- Lemon juice contains antioxidants., which helps your immune system.
- Lemons are high in Vitamin C.
- Lemon juice is a diuretic, so helps to rid your body of excess water.
- Lemonade is acidic and aids in digestion.
What’s an Ingredient You Add to Homemade Lemonade that Might Surprise Folks?
There are several ingredients you can add to homemade lemonade the might surprise your lemonade recipients:
- Lime Juice
- Fresh Strawberry Puree
- Fresh Peach Puree
- Whiskey
- Gin
- Vodka
- Cherry Flavoring
- Blueberry Puree
- Tequila
- Raspberries
How do You Make Homemade Pink Lemonade?
You can add flavorings, such as strawberry or cherry, which will make your lemonade pink. Or, you can simply add food coloring to make your lemonade whatever color you like.
What are Some Other Homemade Drinks Like Iced Tea and Lemonade?
Coffee is another homemade drink. Lemonade made from Myer lemons makes a lemonade with a distinctively different flavor from regular lemonade. You can also make:
- limeade
- a drink made from grapefruit juice
- orange juice
- a drink made from fresh pineapple
- tangerine juice
- ginger tea
- cinnamon tea
How Many Lemons do I Need for 1 Cup of Juice?
The amount of juice in a lemon depends on the size, freshness, and how well they are juiced. Typically, four to six medium-sized fresh lemons will yield about a cup of juice.
How Long Does Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice Last in the Refrigerator?
Fresh squeezed lemon juice will keep in your refrigerator for about 2 to 3 days. If you want to keep it longer than that, you can put it in the freezer. For easy retrieval, put the lemon juice into ice cube trays (paid link), then freeze.
After it is frozen, remove the juice cubes and place in air tight containers, such as a plastic bag for storage. You can take out one or two to use for making lemonade or for other recipes.
Tips and Tricks for Making Homemade Lemonade
- Use a juicer to get the most juice from your lemons.
- Before juicing your lemons, roll and squeeze them between your forearm and counter. This will make juicing them easier. Alternatively, you can heat the lemons in the microwave for about 15 seconds for each lemon.
- Garnishes for your lemonade can include lemon curls or slices, strawberries, or a sprig of fresh mint.
- Carefully remove any seeds from the lemon pulp, then include the pulp in your lemonade.
- You can also add a little bit of lemon zest (using a zester) to give a little more flavor to your drink.
- Lemonade can also be sweetened with honey (replacing all or part of the sugar).
- For a low calorie version of your homemade lemonade, an alternative natural sweetener, such as stevia, can be used.
- Place your serving mugs in the freezer for a few hours before serving your homemade lemonade. This will make a frosty lemonade treat!
- If you want to enjoy lemonade in the winter, just pour it into a microwave-safe mug and heat it up in the microwave! A cup of hot lemonade is tasty and warming. For an even more warming experience, stir in a shot of whiskey or bourbon.
- Because fresh lemon juice isn’t always of a standard flavor or tartness, your lemonade may need a little more or less simple syrup, so make a little extra–just in case.
Take a minute to pin this recipe to your favorite fruit drinks board. That way, you’ll be able to share it and retrieve it on a moment’s notice! You know you’ll want to make this lemonade again and again. LOL!
Homemade Lemonade Recipe
I love how easy it is to make a super refreshing drink for a hot summer day!
Ingredients
- 9 medium-size fresh Lemons (approximagely 1 1/4 cups lemon juice)
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Water, from the tap
- 8 cups Water, cold
- 2 cups Ice Cubes
Instructions
- Wash the lemons.
- Make simple syrup: In a medium-size saucepan, combine the sugar and one cup of water.
- Stir to combine, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir occasionally until all the sugar is dissolved (the mixture will be clear).
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- While the simple syrup is cooking and cooling, slice the lemons in half. (Check out our video to see how.)
- Juice the lemons, making sure no seeds get into the juice.
- Put 8 cups of cold water into a gallon pitcher.
- Add the lemon juice to the cold water.
- Add the simple syrup to the lemon juice and water mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add the ice cubes to the lemonade. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 100Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 13mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 0gSugar: 25gProtein: 0g