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Delicious Homemade Lemonade

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Check out this easy delicious Old-Fashioned homemade lemonade recipe. It has the perfect amount of sweetness and will quench your thirst during those hot summer days. It only has 3 simple ingredients! You can squeeze fresh lemons or if you are in a pinch, you can use bottled lemon juice, but I prefer fresh lemon juice myself.

Yesterday my daughter decided she was in the mood for lemonade. Instead of buying store bought, she purchased some lemons from the store and tried her hand at making homemade lemonade. This lemonade hit the spot and is perfect to have out on the back porch on a hot day.

Store bought lemonade can either be too tart or way too sweet. Making it yourself from scratch allows you the ability to control all of that.

Once you make the lemonade, you can store it in a plastic jug from the Dollar Tree (pictured above) or, you can put it in a cute and festive container. Then invite your lady friends over for a lunch out on the patio and some good laughs.

How To Make The Best Homemade Lemonade Recipe

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients —

  • 8 cups of cold water
  • 1 3/4 cup of sugar (use brown sugar for an intense flavor in your lemon juice)
  • 8 large lemons, enough to make 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice (I like Meyer lemons because they are the best lemons)
  • Lemon zest from 4 lemons
  • ice for finish

Make a Simple Syrup

To make the simple syrup mixture, add the sugar and 1 cup of water to a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and then turn it off. Allow this to cool. I feel that making a simple syrup is the best way to sweeten the lemonade. You could even swap out the sugar for maple syrup if you're trying to use less sugar.

It will still give it the sweet flavor you are craving, but with a little hint of maple flavor.

Finish the lemonade

Pour the simple syrup in a large measuring cup to allow it to cool off. While the simple syrup is cooling off, zest your lemon and set aside. 

Cut your lemons in half and juice them. I like using real lemons opposed to bottled lemon juice for this recipe. Either will work but the fresh lemon flavor adds to the taste of the perfect lemonade. A handheld juicer works great for this, but if you have an electric juicer, that will work also.

Take a tall pitcher and add 7 cups of water to it along with your ice cubes. Add in the cup of lemon juice and grated lemon zest. If the lemonade is not tart enough for your taste, feel free to add more lemon juice to it.

Combine syrup with the other ingredients in the pitcher and then stir. Place in the refrigerator to chill. It has the right amount of sweetness and has the perfect ratio of tart and sweet.

Fill a glass with lots of ice and pour the lemonade in! I like to add in lemon slices and a few sprigs of mint also. It really adds a little extra to the lemonade.

Other Additions to Create the Best Flavor

One of the reasons I love making my own homemade lemonade is because I can add in other things to create different flavors.

One of my favorites is adding strawberries to create a strawberry lemonade. I add in some of my homemade strawberry syrup for the perfect flavor. This is the best lemonade recipe you will find on the internet!

If it's a hot summer day where you live, this simple recipe will quench your thirst that is for sure! I prefer lemonade over iced tea any day, but my husband would disagree with me!

Here are a few of my other favorite summertime recipes!

What is your favorite summer time drink of choice?

Yield: 8 cups

Delicious Homemade Lemonade

Delicious Homemade Lemonade

Homemade lemonade is sweet, tart, and refreshing.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 cups of water
  • 1 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 8 large lemons (enough to make 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice
  • grated lemon peel from 4 of those lemons
  • ice for finish

Instructions

Make a Simple Syrup

  1. To make the simple syrup, add the sugar and 1 cup of water to a sauce pan. Bring to a rolling boil and then turn it off. Allow this to cool.

Finish the lemonade

  1. While the simple syrup is cooling off, grate your lemon peel and set aside.
  2. Cut your lemons in half and juice them.
  3. Take a tall pitcher and add 7 cups of water to it along with your ice cubes. Add in the lemon juice and grated lemon peel.
  4. Take the cooled simple syrup and add to the pitcher and then stir. Place in the refrigerator to chill.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 214Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 4gSugar: 48gProtein: 2g

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