Best Homemade Lemonade

If you’ve been around here long, you’ll know that I pretty much spent all winter talking about lemons and how much I love lemon desserts. It’s funny though, no matter how wintry citrus desserts are, nothing says summer like fresh-squeezed lemonade! What’s up with that!?

Secrets to the perfect lemonade – stop frantically stirring your drink trying to dissolve that sugar! Make a simple syrup instead to ensure perfectly sweetened lemonade every time. Also, make sure you taste test frequently as you add the water – it’s a hard job, but someone has to do it! I love using Meyer lemons if you have access to them as they are naturally sweeter than traditional lemons.

Don’t forget to get creative! Lemonade makes the perfect base for a cocktail or any number of additions – from thyme to lavender to blueberries! It’s safe to say I’ll be drinking lemonade all summer!

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Best Homemade Lemonade

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Perfect fresh-squeezed lemonade requires only three ingredients – lemons, sugar and water! Get the sweetness factor just right by using a simple syrup.

• Author: Kelly Egan
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Drinks
• Method: Mixed drink
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

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• 1 cup lemon juice (4–6 lemons = 1 cup juice), plus additional for garnish
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2–3 cups of cold water

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Instructions

1. Juice the lemons to get 1 cup of lemon juice. Zest the leftover peels.
2. Make the simple syrup by combining the equal portions sugar and water in a saucepan as well as the lemon zest. Heat on medium heat until sugar is thoroughly dissolved. Do not let boil. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and set aside to cool.
3. Combine simple syrup and lemon juice and add additional cold water to taste. Garnish with lemon slices.

[i]Tips:[/i] Meyer lemons are sweeter than traditional lemons so will require more added water.

 P.S. – Looking for other lemon recipes? Try these:

Tartine Lemon Shaker Pie
Mini Pavlovas with Lemon Curd
Tartlets with Lemon Curd
Fig & Chèvre Appetizer Bites with Candied Lemon
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Dried Lemon Slices