Homemade Lemonade

Beat the summer heat with this simple and refreshing homemade lemonade – only 3 ingredients required!

Is there anything better than sipping on a tall glass of lemonade during a hot summer day? Not really…except maybe for enjoying that tall glass by the pool! The summer classic is, however, also tasty throughout the year, which is why I often have a bottle of homemade lemon syrup sitting in my fridge (even in December!).

The best part is that it comes together in 10 minutes and you only need 3 ingredients to make it. (Excluding and lemon slices and mint for garnishing because they are optional.) If you have chilled sparkling water on hand, you can skip the ice cubes and it’ll be a refreshing drink nonetheless.

While we could add some limes or even herbs to the mix, I decided to keep this recipe ultra simple – because lemonade is a classic and you don’t mess with classics. I love artisanal beverages with complex flavors but frankly didn’t want to mess with my “sitting under my little lemonade stand and selling outrageously overpriced drinks to my neighbors” childhood memory. Good times indeed.

However, if plain lemonade doesn’t quite tickle your fancy, I recommend this lavender limeade or this strawberry rhubarb lemonade.

Sugar substitutions

You would rather not use sugar? Here are some alternatives.

As a sugar substitute you can also use a mild type of honey, about 8 tablespoons. Stevia is also an option if you don’t mind the slight licorice taste. Start with a 1/4 teaspoon and increase the amount to taste. I have also tried this recipe with erythritol, which works too but doesn’t store well, as the sugar eventually recrystallizes when stored in the fridge.

Homemade Lemonade

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• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 1x 250 ml bottle 1x

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Description

A sweet and sour lemonade for hot summer days.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Lemon Syrup

• 230g white granulated sugar* (1 and 1/4 cup)
• 250 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, sieved (about 8 lemons)

 

Other

• sparkling water
• ice cubes
• lemon slices for garnishing, optional
• mint leaves for garnishing, optional

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Instructions

Lemon Syrup

1. In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar and lemon juice and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Let it simmer until the sugar crystals have completely dissolved.
2. Fill into a clean glass bottle and let it cool completely, then store in the fridge.

 

Assemble

1. Add some of the syrup, ice cubes, lemon slices and mint to a pitcher and top with sparkling water. Stir und serve.

Notes

*See text above for tips on sugar substitutes.

The lemon syrup keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Keywords: lemonade, homemade lemonade, easy lemonade, how to make lemonade

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