Lemonade is refreshing and super easy! Making it at home allows for customization of the sweetness and tartness levels to suit your taste. It's typically chilled and served over ice, making it perfect for hot weather. The different components can be made ahead. Unlike store-bought lemonade, it does not contain preservatives or artificial flavors.
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Homemade lemonade is a refreshing, delicious, and healthy drink that is perfect for any occasion, especially during Summer for barbecues, picnics, potlucks, camping trips, hiking, and similar activities.
This is our best lemonade recipe with the perfect ingredient ratio in our opinion. Of course, this is the part that you can modify to suit your and your family's palate.
Why you should make lemonade from scratch
- Healthier: it allows you to control the ingredients that go into it. You can use fresh, natural ingredients, and avoid artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives found in store-bought lemonade.
- Cost-effective: making your own lemonade can be much cheaper than buying pre-made drinks, especially if you already have lemons and sugar in your pantry.
- Customizable: you can adjust the sweetness and tartness to your liking. You can also add other flavors like strawberries, mint, or ginger to create your own unique lemonade recipe, like this pink lemonade.
- Easy to make: it's a simple process that requires few ingredients and tools. It's a fun activity to do with family and friends, and a great way to beat the heat on a hot summer day.
What is lemonade made from?
Lemonade is made by mixing freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar, and water. The mixture is typically chilled and served over ice.
Some variations may include additional ingredients such as mint, strawberries, or other fruit juices for added flavor.
Ingredients
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed.
- Lemon slices: from fresh lemons, to serve.
- White granulated sugar.
- Cold water: use regular water with ice cubes or make the lemonade ahead so it has time to chill in the fridge before serving.
See the recipe card towards the end of this post for quantities.
Variations & substitutions
I used to have a Café and we served lemonade with mint and ginger that we processed in the blender with ice. Cold, refreshing, and delicious!
Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and flavors to create your own unique homemade lemonade recipe (watermelon lemonade, anyone?).
- Fruit: add fresh or frozen berries to your lemonade for a sweet or tangy (depending on the berry) and fruity twist. Peaches and pineapple, fresh or canned, also pair well.
- Mint: add fresh mint leaves to your lemonade for a refreshing and cooling flavor.
- Ginger: add fresh ginger to your lemonade for a spicy and zesty kick.
- Herbs: lavender, rosemary, and thyme, all pair very well. Add lavender flowers or fresh sprigs of herbs to your lemonade for a soothing and floral or herby taste.
- Honey, maple syrup, or agave: substitute the sugar in your lemonade with another syrup for a more natural and healthier sweetener.
How to make lemonade
Making lemonade from scratch is really very, very easy!
Add lemon juice to the pitcher with lemon slices and ice cubes.
Next comes the sugar syrup.
Fill with water halfway, taste, adjust with more lemon juice or syrup or both, and then continue to the top.
Cut lemon slices to place in the glasses as garnishes before serving.
Vintage Kitchen tip: make sure you don't add all the juice and syrup from the start in case your pitcher is not large enough. That way, you can adjust.
Storage
Homemade lemonade can last for up to 5-7 days if stored properly in the refrigerator.
However, its freshness and flavor will gradually decline over time. By following these tips, you can extend the shelf life of your lemon drink.
- Store it in an airtight container: transfer your lemonade from the pitcher to a clean container with a tight-fitting lid or cover.
- Keep it refrigerated: it should be in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. This will help prevent bacterial growth and keep it fresh.
- Check for signs of spoilage: If your lemonade looks cloudy, has an off odor or taste, or shows signs of mold, discard it immediately.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperatures, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
- Simple sugar syrup: I like it much better than using sugar because the latter sometimes doesn't dissolve completely or you have to stir frequently. Making the syrup takes about 5 minutes and it keeps in the fridge almost indefinitely. Always in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Freezing lemonade: it keeps for a month.
- Stir before serving: The ingredients can settle at the bottom of the jar or pitcher over time. Give it a good stir before serving to distribute the ingredients evenly.
How many lemons do I need to make homemade lemonade?
This will depend on the size of your lemons and how tart you want your lemonade to be. As a general rule, you'll need about 6 to 8 large lemons to make 1 cup of fresh lemon juice.
How much sugar should I use in homemade lemonade?
This will depend on your personal taste preferences. As a starting point, you can use ½ cup of sugar for every 3 cups of water. You can adjust the sweetness to your liking by adding more or less sugar.
Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemon juice?
While you can use bottled lemon juice, it won't have the same fresh flavor as using freshly squeezed lemon juice. If you do use bottled juice, be sure to read the label to make sure it doesn't contain any added sugar or preservatives.
Related recipes you might like:
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Homemade Lemonade
Lemonade is refreshing and super easy! Making it at home allows for customization of the sweetness and tartness levels to suit your taste. It's typically chilled and served over ice, making it perfect for hot weather. The different components can be made ahead. Unlike store-bought lemonade, it does not contain preservatives or artificial flavors.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 glasses
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (6 to 8 lemons)
- ¾ cup sugar (see Notes below if you like very sweet lemonade)
- ¾ cup water, at room temperature
- 2-3 cups cold water
- Ice cubes
- Lemon slices and mint leaves (optional), for serving
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and 1 cup of water.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat when it starts to boil and let the syrup cool to room temperature. The sugar will have dissolved and you'll have a clear, simple syrup. You can store it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and keep it in the fridge almost indefinitely.
- Juice lemons to make 1 cup. You might find an electric citrus juicer handy for this task.
- Combine ¾ cup of lemon juice, ½ cup of cold syrup, 2 cups of cold water, and a cup of ice cubes in a large pitcher (about 6 cup capacity).
- Stir well, taste, and adjust to your palate. I use the whole of the lemon juice and syrup, but the first time it's better if you mix less of each and then adjust. You might want more sweetness and less lemon or the other way around.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes if not using ice cubes.
- Pour into glasses with a few cubes of ice with lemon slices and mint leaves if desired.
Notes
- Simple sugar syrup: I like it much better than using sugar because the latter sometimes doesn't dissolve completely or you have to stir frequently. Making the syrup takes about 5 minutes and it keeps in the fridge almost indefinitely. Always in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Sweeter lemonade: if you generally like very sweet drinks, use 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water to make the syrup. Don't add it all at once, but you'll have extra if you need to add more.
- Freezing lemonade: it keeps for a month.
- Stir before serving: The ingredients can settle at the bottom of the jar or pitcher over time. Give it a good stir before serving to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Store it in an airtight container: transfer your lemonade from the pitcher to a clean container with a tight-fitting lid or cover.
- Keep it refrigerated: it should be in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. This will help prevent bacterial growth and keep it fresh.
- Check for signs of spoilage: If your lemonade looks cloudy, has an off odor or taste, or shows signs of mold, discard it immediately.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: International
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙
- Calories: 73
- Sugar: 17.7 g
- Sodium: 5.3 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.5 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: lemonade
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