Fresh Lemonade

There’s nothing quite like a tall glass of freshly squeezed lemonade on a hot summer’s day. While store-bought lemonades are ok, homemade is better. No doubt! Fresh juice, real sugar and water. That’s it!

Here’s how you make it…

Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients
To begin your lemonade-making journey, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Fresh Lemons: Select juicy and ripe lemons to extract the best flavor. On average, 6 to 8 lemons are enough for a standard pitcher of lemonade.

Granulated Sugar (or an alternative sweetener): Adjust the amount of sugar based on your taste preferences. If you’re looking for a healthier option, you can substitute sugar with honey or maple syrup.

Water: Filtered or spring water works best to ensure a clean, neutral base for your lemonade.

Ice: For that extra chill factor, keep some ice cubes ready.

Step 2: Squeeze the Lemons
Roll each lemon on a flat surface to break down the membranes or microwave for 10 seconds to help break down and get more juice. Cut the lemons in half and use a citrus juicer to extract the juice.

Step 3: Make a simple syrup
In a saucepan, combine one cup of water with 1 cup of sugar (usually 3/4 to 1 cup, but you can adjust to taste). Warm the water on low heat and stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Creating a syrup makes the sugar dissolve better than if you did it yourself.

Step 4: Mix It Up
Combine the freshly squeezed lemon juice, the simple syrup, and an additional 3 to 4 cups of cold water in a large pitcher. Stir well to ensure the sugar is evenly distributed.

Step 5: Customize Your Lemonade
At this point, you have a classic lemonade ready to go. However, you can take it up a notch by adding some fun variations:

Minty Fresh: Add a few fresh mint leaves to the pitcher for a refreshing twist.

Make an Arnold Palmer by adding 50% iced tea.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy
Fill your glasses with ice cubes and pour in the fresh lemonade. Garnish with lemon slices or mint sprigs for an appealing presentation. Sit back and enjoy!