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This easy homemade lemonade recipe uses the juice of real lemons. A healthy organic lemonade and a fun kids activity for a hot day!
Easy Homemade Lemonade Backstory
I love homemade lemonade and one of the great things about being in California at this time of year is having citrus trees all around us. There are lots of grapefruits and oranges too; it is like citrus heaven here.
Graham has been enjoying lots of fresh grapefruits and we have a juicer so we have been making lots of fresh juice.
I used the juicer and made a nice large jug full of lemonade – here’s the recipe. It’s incredibly easy to make and you can adjust the amount of sugar you add! We like ours with 2/3 cup sugar for a batch and I add 5 cups cold water. Adjust yours to taste!
How to Make Easy Homemade Lemonade
- Start by making a simple syrup using 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Heat the two together slowly on the stove and stir.
- Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the stove and let it cool.
- Juice up your fresh lemons (we bought a Black and Decker juicer, and it sure beats hand juicing!). I usually juice up enough lemons for two batches of lemonade. I just keep the extra juice in a jar in the fridge.
- Put the lemon juice in a large jug and add the sugar syrup. Then add cold water and stir well.
- Keep your easy homemade lemonade in the fridge and enjoy! Give it a quick stir before pouring.
How Do I Choose the Best Lemons?
- For perfect lemons, look for rinds that are pretty clear of blemishes and have an even coloring.
- The fruit should feel heavy for its size, which indicates lots of juice!
- Fruits with skins that are smoother and have less texture tend to yield more juice, which is important to keep in mind for a lemonade recipe.
- Avoid any lemons with soft spots or wrinkles.
- Smell the fruit and choose the ones that have sweet, strong aromas.
Variations and Serving Suggestions
- You can make lemonade ice cubes to keep on hand to add to water or other fruit drinks.
- Another great way to enjoy lemonade even colder is to pour it into popsicle molds and make lemonade pops!
- Serve with a sprig of fresh mint or basil for an added pop of refreshing flavor.
- Muddle up some fruit and stir it into your drink for some added fruity flavor. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, mangoes, melon, or any combination of these would taste great in this drink!
- Try adding some sparkling water (or a sparkling wine if you’re feeling like it) to give your lemonade some fizz.
More Great Country Living Recipes
Our entire Country Living in a Cariboo Valley Recipe Collection can be found here, but here are a few highlights!
- This Healthy Homemade Granola is perfect for breakfast time or for a filling snack!
- For some guidelines on how to make and can your own salsa, check out this post.
- Banana Bread is so easy to make and such a crowd-pleaser!
Easy Homemade Lemonade
If you like this refreshing homemade lemonade recipe, be sure to rate it 5 stars below!
Homemade Lemonade
Always a treat to enjoy a glass of freshly made Lemonade.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 3 - 4 cups cold water
Instructions
Make a simple syrup using 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water.
Heat the two together slowly on the stove and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Let it cool.
Juice 5 or 6 lemons, enough to make 1 cup of juice.
Put 1 cup of lemon juice in a large jug and add the sugar syrup.
Then add 3 or 4 cups of cold water.
Mix well, store in refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 0gSugar: 51gProtein: 0g
First Published April 2013; Updated January 2021
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