This easy homemade lemonade says summer with three ingredients and plenty of fresh flavors. It doesn’t require cooking a simple syrup. It is quick, delicious, and refreshing – a summer crowd pleaser!
Wash lemons thoroughly with soap or vegetable spray, and warm water. Roll lemons firmly on a hard surface until they become soft. This will help them to release their juice.
Slice the lemons. Mash the lemon slices and the sugar in a large bowl, using a potato masher or a wooden spoon, until the sugar is dissolved. If you have time you can chill the mashed lemons and sugar mixture in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This will help the sugar and the lemon juices to combine and for better flavor.
Strain the sugar-lemon mixture into a glass measuring cup, and measure 2 cups. If you have less than 2 cups, juice some more lemon juice.
Add the 2 cups lemon-sugar mixture to a pitcher and add 8 cups water. Stir the lemonade, taste it to make sure it's not too sweet for you. Add more water if necessary.
Pour in the lemonade in glasses! Garnish each glass with sliced lemons.
Store lemonade in the refrigerator.
NOTES
For best flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice from real lemons, not store-bought bottled lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice doesn't taste as good as lemon juice from fresh lemons. It usually has some things added to it and the flavor is not quite right. It's definitely better to make your homemade lemonade with real lemons.
When purchasing lemons, choose large ones that give to gentle pressure; avoid lemons that still have some green spots. Hard lemons have thicker skin and yield less juice.
Also, if possible use Meyer lemons - they are sweeter and juicier than other lemon varieties. They make an amazing lemonade with a delicious sweet flavor. They are usually in season in the winter and spring months.
To extract the most lemon juice, before you cut them, roll each lemon over your cutting board with the palm of your hand, pressing down as you do. This will help them to release their juice.
For a fuller, more complex lemon flavor, macerate lemon slices with the sugar in a bowl, and store them in the fridge for about 30 minutes if possible. Mashing the lemon slices with sugar (or your choice of sweetener) helps to extract the oils in the lemon peel and adds more of the fragrant citrus flavor.
* After you mash the lemons according to the recipe instructions, you should get 2 cups of lemon juice. If you are using smaller lemons, you would need between 8-10 lemons. As written, this lemonade has the perfect amount of sweetness for me, but it goes without saying that you could adjust the sweetness or lemon flavor to taste.
NUTRITION
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Lemonade Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 182
% Daily Value*
Sodium 12mg1%
Potassium 134mg4%
Carbohydrates 49g16%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 42g47%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 20IU0%
Vitamin C 51.5mg62%
Calcium 31mg3%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.