Easy Homemade Lemonade Recipe

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This easy homemade lemonade recipe made with fresh lemon juice, water, and sugar is the perfect refreshing summer drink. Once you try homemade lemonade, you won’t go back to store-bought!

Lemonade is one of those drinks that causes you to slow down and think about the past. All of the summer fun, playing with friends, and baseball games. Thankfully, making homemade lemonade from scratch is super easy!!

It is also the perfect base to make flavored lemonade, like cherry lemonade and passion tea lemonade, or adult lemonade drinks like blue lemonade cocktail and even a passion tea lemonade cocktail.

Lemonade ingredients:

• Lemons – you really do want fresh lemons for the best flavor! You will need 6 to 8 lemons to get 1 cup of juice, it all depends on their size and how juicy they are.
• Sugar – super-fine sugar, granulated sugar or Swerve granular will all work in this recipe.
• Water – The amount of water that you use will depend on your own tastes, but 6 cups is a good baseline. Use less for a stronger, sweeter lemonade, or use more if it’s too strong.

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How to make fresh lemonade recipe with lemon juice:

Measure out the sugar and place in a large glass measuring cup or jar.

Juice the lemons, straining out the pulp until you have one cup of juice. Pour the lemon juice into the sugar.

Stir the mixture together until completely dissolved.

Pour the lemon juice mixture into a large serving pitcher. Add the water and stir to combine. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serve chilled lemonade over ice with lemon slices, if desired.

Recipe Notes & Tips

• When choosing your lemons, look for lemons that are on the softer side versus rock hard. These lemons will be juicier.
• Hold a lemon in each hand. If they are the same size but one is heavier than the other, that’s the one you want.
• Allow your lemons to come to room temperature before juicing them.
• Roll the lemons between your hand and the countertop before cutting them.
• Use lemonade within 4 days for freshest flavor.

Tools used to create the best lemonade recipe:

• citrus juicer
• or you may prefer a citrus press style juicer
• measuring pitcher used to mix the juice and sugar (it’s from IKEA)
• chefs knife
• plastic cutting board
• serving pitcher – this one is similar, mine is over 30 years old.

You can see the rest of my favorite kitchen tools and gadgets here in my Amazon Affiliate Page. I earn a small commission when you purchase through my links, at no cost to you, so I can keep bringing you more delicious recipes!

Flavored simple syrup recipes:

These flavored syrup recipes are an easy and delicious way to change up your lemonade!

• Blackberry Simple Syrup
• Cherry Simple Syrup
• Strawberry Simple Syrup
• Classic Simple Syrup if you would like to take the extra step of dissolving the sugar in the water over heat.

Frozen lemonade concentrate

To make your own homemade lemonade concentrate, create the classic simple syrup recipe (to help make sure it doesn’t separate) and allow it to cool completely before mixing with the fresh squeezed lemon juice. Place in a zipper top freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready to use, or up to 5 months.

When ready to use, remove from the freezer and allow the concentrate to defrost. Pour into a pitcher, add water, stir and serve.

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Enjoy!!