This Homemade Lemonade is refreshing and full of flavor. Freshly squeezed ripe lemons are key in making the best homemade lemonade you have ever tasted. Fresh from scratch lemonade is so easy to make and contains only 3 simple ingredients! Best of all, you can easily adjust the sweetness, so you can make it exactly how you like it! So, when you are craving a nice cold glass of fresh lemonade, give this recipe a try; you will love it!
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Homemade lemonade is one of our favorite drinks to enjoy in the summer. When it is crazy hot outside, sometimes the only way to cool off is by drinking an ice-cold glass of fresh homemade lemonade.
I like to keep a pitcher of this easy-to-make lemonade in the fridge so we can easily pour a tall glass of it when we want a refreshing cold drink.
Some of our other favorite drinks to have in the summer to cool off are Delicious Iced Coffee and The Best Orange Julius. Want a snack to go with your lemonade? Try Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins or Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Cheese Muffins.
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Ingredients needed for Lemonade
To make homemade lemonade, only 3 ingredients are needed to make this delicious and refreshing summer drink.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice. Fresh lemons are key in this homemade lemonade. If you take a shortcut and use bottled lemon juice you won't get the best flavor. You can juice your lemons with a citrus juicer or use an electric juicer to make quick work of it.
- Water. I recommend using good quality water. If you have well water or town/city water that has a funky taste or smell, your lemonade won't have the best flavor. We use a reverse osmosis water filtration system and LOVE it!! Our water has no smell and tastes great! PLUS, we don't have to buy bottled water anymore!
- Cane sugar. I use cane sugar because it is less processed than white sugar. Feel free to use your favorite sweetener. Because the cane sugar is granulated, you have to heat it with water until it dissolves, until you have a simple syrup.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make lemon simple syrup
First things first, we need to make the lemon simple syrup for the lemonade. It only takes about 5 minutes to do.
We all know that lemon juice is tart, so we have to add sweetener to it. However, if you add granules of sugar to the lemon juice and cold water, the sugar will not dissolve, and the sugar will sink to the bottom of the pitcher.
The solution is to first make a simple syrup by heating sugar and water to dissolve. Then when you mix the syrup with the lemon juice and water, it will mix and blend perfectly!
Ready to get started?
- In a medium saucepan, combine cane sugar and water. Peel the rind off 1 lemon with a vegetable peeler. We just want the yellow peel, not the white part.
- Next, juice this lemon that you just peeled, and add the juice and lemon peel to the saucepan. Set the heat to medium and bring to a low boil.
- Once it comes to a low boil, remove the saucepan from heat and let the lemon rind steep in the simple syrup for a few minutes. The longer it steeps the stronger lemon flavor you will have.
- After a few minutes, remove the lemon peel and discard. Pour lemon simple syrup into a glass jar and let it come to room temperature before using.
Hint: This lemon simple syrup is delicious in summer cocktails; so good with sparkling water and a lemon garnish! Fill a glass ¾ full of ice, add ¼ cup of lemon simple syrup, and top with sparkling water. It's so good! 🙂
How to make lemonade from scratch
Let's grab some lemons and start juicing! Use a citrus juicer or an electric juicer and go crazy until you have enough juice. Next, remove any lemon seeds that may have snuck into the lemon juice.
Now it's time to mix it all up! See, I told you it was quick and easy!
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice to a large pitcher.
- Pour 1 cup of the cooled lemon simple syrup into the pitcher. Stir really well to mix.
- Add in 1-2 cups of ice. Stir well.
- Add in cold water to fill up the pitcher, stir it all up with a long-handled spoon, and do a taste test.
- Add extra lemon juice if you want it stronger, or add more lemon simple syrup if it is too tart.
- Garnish with lemon wedges.
Hint: To get the most juice out of a lemon, heat the lemons before you juice them. Fill a bowl with hot water and place lemons in it. Let them sit for about 30 minutes. The warm lemons cause the juice to flow more freely. Alternatively, pop whole lemons in the microwave on HIGH for 10-20 seconds, then let them cool slightly and juice away!
Make a Cocktail!
To turn this homemade lemonade into a cocktail, add ice to a tall glass. Add in 1 shot of vodka or gin. Fill the glass ¾ full with prepared lemonade, and top off the rest with sparkling water! Garnish with slices of jalapeno, lemon slices, or fresh mint!
Substitutions
Sweetener - Instead of cane sugar, use an equal part white sugar or substitute Truvia or Stevia. Honey would also be a good natural sweetener.
Lemons - Use half limes and half lemons for limeade. Adjust the sweetener to suit your taste.
Water - Instead of regular cold water, add carbonated water for a fizzy lemonade.
Variations
- Spicy - add a thinly sliced jalapeno pepper to the lemonade for a bit of a kick, or add a dash of cayenne pepper; mix really well.
- Fruity - add fresh raspberries or strawberries to lemonade for a fruity taste.
- Herbs - add fresh mint or rosemary to the lemonade
- Alcohol - for an adult-only lemonade, add vodka or gin for a boozy drink
Equipment
To make this homemade lemonade, you need a citrus juicer. You have a few choices on tools to do this. I'll list them from cheapest to most expensive.
- A manual juicer
- A citrus juicer
- An electric juicer. We love ours and use it to make carrot juice, apple juice, and Crabapple Syrup.
Storage
Store lemon simple syrup in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Store homemade lemonade in the fridge in an airtight pitcher for up to 1 week. Stir well before using.
Top tips
If you love lemon flavor, try this tip. After you mix up the lemonade, fill an ice cube tray with lemonade and freeze. When you serve the lemonade, use the lemonade ice cubes instead of regular ice cubes. That way, when your ice melts, it won't water down your lemonade. 🙂
This lemonade will have the best flavor if it sits in the fridge for a couple of hours before you drink it. This will give time for the flavors to meld together.
Add lemon slices to individual glasses for extra lemon flavor and a pretty garnish.
You can also garnish with fresh mint leaves. It complements the lemonade so well and adds great flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
On average, 1 lemon gives about 3 tablespoon of juice. This means that it will take about 6 lemons to get 1 cup of lemon juice.
Lemon juice is full of vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals, but sugar makes it unhealthy. Instead, use a small amount of simple syrup and add it to suit your taste. Alternatively, use maple syrup or honey for a more natural sweetener.
The acid in lemonade stimulates your saliva glands, which makes your body feel like it is hydrated. Your dry mouth goes away, and you feel hydrated even after your lemonade is gone.
Related Recipes
If you’ve tried this Homemade Lemonade or any other recipe, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!
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📋 Recipe
Homemade Lemonade
Equipment
- Citrus juicer
- Electric juicer
Ingredients
Lemon Simple Syrup Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups cane sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
- peel of 1 lemon
Lemonade Ingredients
- 1½ cups lemon juice freshly squeezed, about 8 lemons
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup lemon simple syrup
- mint leaves optional
Instructions
Lemon Simple Syrup
- In a medium saucepan, combine cane sugar, water, juice of 1 lemon, and lemon peel. Set the heat to medium and bring to a low boil.
- Once it comes to a low boil, remove the saucepan from heat and let the lemon peel steep in the simple syrup for a few minutes. The longer it steeps, the stronger the lemon flavor you will have.
- After a few minutes, remove the lemon peel and discard. Pour lemon simple syrup into a glass jar and let it come to room temperature before using.
Homemade Lemonade
- Freshly squeeze the juice of lemons into a large pitcher. Remove any lemon seeds that may have snuck into the lemon juice.
- Add 1 cup of the cooled lemon simple syrup into the pitcher. Stir really well to mix.
- Add in 1-2 cups of ice. Stir well.
- Add in cold water to fill up the pitcher, stir it all up with a long-handled spoon and do a taste test. Add extra lemon juice if you want it stronger, or add more lemon simple syrup if it is too tart. Garnish with lemon wedges or mint. Enjoy!
Kayla DiMaggio
Yum! You can't really beat homemade lemonade on a hot Summer day! It was 102 here today so I just had to whip this up, it was so refreshing!!
Jeri
I'm so glad you liked it! It's a great way to beat the heat! 🙂
Anaiah
I love making homemade lemonade and this recipe was perfect. I added the mint leaves and it made it even more refreshing. I'll definitely be having this drink all summer long!
Jeri
I'm glad you liked it! The mint gives it awesome flavor!
Jean
I love the idea of making this as cocktail too to serve with friends. Such a hit with them.
Jeri
It's a yummy cocktail for sure!
Gina Abernathy
A very refreshing drink for the summer. I have some lemons just waiting to be turned into lemonade.