Summer is here!! One beverage that is always so refreshing on a hot day is a nice cold glass of lemonade. There’s just something so refreshing and exciting about enjoying a tall glass of lemonade on warm summer days! This homemade lemonade recipe uses fresh squeezed lemons and is full of tarty lemon flavor from fresh lemons. It will have you (and your friends) going back for more!
I’m not even exaggerating when I say that I’ve been making this homemade lemonade recipe every week for the last 4 weeks. The boys absolutely LOVE this cold lemonade, they love helping me make it in the kitchen, and it is such and easy lemonade recipe. I probably need to convince my husband to let me plant a lemon tree in the backyard. ha. You’ll be enjoying this fresh-squeezed homemade lemonade in just 20 minutes!
I love to make this fresh lemonade a few hours before it’ll be drunk or the night before I want to enjoy it, so it is nice and chilled!
What Helps the Sugar not Sink to the Bottom?
How annoying is it that the sugar always seems to find its way to the bottom of the lemonade pitcher! Are you always finding yourself mixing lemonade because the sugar has sunk down to the bottom? So is there a way we can prevent this? Totally! At the very beginning of this recipe I will show you how to dissolve 1 cup of water and 1.5 cups of sugar on the stove. So instead of mixing the lemon juice, water, and sugar in a pitcher, you will infuse some of the water and all of the sugar by adding heat to it on the stove. The sugar will dissolve in the water and create a very thin sugar syrup. The lemonade will taste just as good, but without the annoying hassle of mixing the lemonade every 5 minutes or seeing the chunks of sugar floating around! This also eliminates the gritty texture from the sugar not dissolving.
What ingredients do I need for this Homemade Lemonade Recipe?
This delicious homemade lemonade recipe uses 3 simple ingredients!
- 6 cups of water
- 1.5 cups of sugar
- 1.5 cups of lemon juice- this is roughly 5-7 large lemons or one bunch of lemons
What equipment do I need for Homemade Lemonade?
There are a few different steps for this recipe, but the equipment is everything you already have in your kitchen.
- Small saucepan
- lemon juicer
- fine mesh strainer- this will catch any pulp and seeds that fall out of the lemon squeezer. You can also catch the seeds and pulp using the palm of your hand.
- big pitcher or large glass mason jar
How to Make Homemade Lemonade.
Okay! Let’s dive into making this fresh homemade lemonade!
- First, we will make the simple syrup and dissolve the sugar in water. Combine the cups of sugar and the cup of water into a small saucepan. Place on the stove over medium heat. Stir consistently until the sugar is dissolved.
- you will know the sugar is dissolved when you lift up the spoon and, when touched, the syrup has no sugar texture to it. It will be smooth to the touch.
- Once the sugar has dissolved (this will take just about 5 minutes), remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- While the sugar syrup is cooling, cut roughly 6 lemons in half. You will sometimes need more lemons depending on how much juice the lemons will give. You will need one and a half cups of fresh lemon juice for this recipe.
- A top when juicing the lemons is to place the strainer over a large measuring cup. Using the lemon juicer, squeeze the lemon juice directly over the strainer. This will automatically prevent any pulp and seeds from getting into the lemon juice. AKA less dishes to wash when you find pulp in there.
- Once you have the lemon juice, pour the one and a half cups of juice into a large pitcher or large glass mason jar. Then pour the remaining 5 cups of cold water and dissolved sugar into the pitcher.
- Carefully stir the mixture around to mix everything together.
- Place in the fridge until ready to use. Then enjoy in a tall glass with some ice cubes!
How long does Homemade Lemonade Keep?
Lemonade will keep fresh in the fridge for 3-5 days!
Can I Freeze Lemonade?
You can totally freeze lemonade! Freeze homemade lemonade in ice cube trays then transfer to a ziplock bag. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. Use as desired!
Make sure to tag me @raesbakeryblog on Instagram and comment below if you make this homemade lemonade. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the button above or below this post, or any photos above.
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Coffee and Brownies,
Ashley Rae
Homemade Lemonade
Cool off on those hot summer days with this homemade lemonade recipe!
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 1.5 cups fresh lemon juice about 6 lemons
Instructions
- Combine 1 cup water and 1.5 cups sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir continually until sugar dissolves. About 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, cut lemons and use a juicer to squeeze out the lemon juice into a fine strainer sitting on a measuring cup.
- Pour lemon juice, sugar mixture, and rest of the water into a pitcher and stir well.
- Keep in the fridge until you are ready to enjoy.
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