Selling lemonade on a hot summer day in front of your house — we all have a least one days’ memory of this at some point in our childhood. The homemade sign, the paper cups, the questions about homemade vs. the store-bought mix … it’s all very sweetly nostalgic until your own child asks if they can set up a lemonade stand.
If and when you get this question (and you will!), here’s our favorite recipe for homemade, fresh-squeezed lemonade.
Prep Time: 10 min / Cook Time: 10 min
Servings: Approx. 6 cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar (may reduce to 3/4 cup)
- 1 cup water (for the simple syrup)
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2-3 cups cold water (to dilute)
- ice
Instructions
Step 1. In a saucepan over medium heat, make the simple syrup by boiling 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar until the sugar dissolves. At a simmer, this only takes a few minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Step 2. Juice the room-temperature (it’s easier!) lemons and strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds and pulp.
Step 3. Combine simple syrup and lemon juice in a pitcher, stir, and add cold water. Add less water if you plan on serving over ice.
Also consider:
- Reserving a few lemon slices to put in each cup for that added garnish and reminder that it’s truly homemade.
- Limes are also fun to include. Try swapping lemons for limes entirely for fresh-squeezed limeade, or mix half lemon and half lime for a lemon-limeade twist.
- When purchasing, look for lemons or limes in the store that are tender to the touch, which means they’re juicy.
- When making the simple syrup, add 1 tsp of fresh lemon zest for added lemon flavor (you’ll want to strain this, however).
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Photo credit: iStock.com/fcafotodigital
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