Homemade Lemonade

If you love lemonade, you need to try my Homemade Lemonade recipe! It’s the perfect balance of tart & sweet. Make it by the glass or pitcher!

Why We Love This Easy Lemonade Recipe

• The signature drink of summer everywhere, this easy homemade lemonade recipe is both refreshing and a totally thirst-quenching treat.
• Never suffer through lemon-flavored water or watered-down lemon juice again. This fresh lemonade uses a homemade simple syrup to sweeten the lemon juice so you achieve the perfect balance of sweet and tart every time you make a glass!
• Prepare a pitcher of lemonade for everyone to enjoy without breaking a sweat! Making lemonade by the glass or a pitcher is super simple so you can be ready for an impromptu patio party!
• Three easy ingredients are all you need to make this fresh lemonade recipe to celebrate summer.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Homemade Lemonade

LEMONS: The best lemonade is always made with freshly squeezed lemons so pick up as many as you need for either a glass or a pitcher. In a pinch, you can always use bottled lemon juice as well.

SUGAR: You will need granulated sugar to make the simple syrup to sweeten the lemonade.

WATER: You will need water to make this drink. Tap water is fine unless you don’t care for the taste of it, in which case you’ll need to purchase your favorite bottled/gallon water.

How to Make Lemonade by the Glass

Jump to Recipe

STEP 1 Add 1/2 cup of water and all of the sugar to a small saucepan. Whisk the sugar and water over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks clear.

STEP 2 Let the sugar water cool to room temperature.

STEP 3 Fill a glass with ice. Then pour in 1/3 cup of lemon juice, the simple syrup, and the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Give the lemonade a stir and it’s ready to drink!

How to Make Lemonade by the Pitcher

Prepare the simple syrup as directed above using 4 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of sugar and a medium saucepan. Then combine 2 2/3 cups of lemon juice, 4 cups of water, and the simple syrup in a 2.5-quart pitcher. Stir everything together and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Tips & Tricks

• Freshly squeezed lemon juice is really great but bottled lemon juice will work too and you’ll still enjoy an amazing glass of lemonade.
• Make a double batch of the lemonade and pour it into ice cube trays to freeze! Making lemonade ice cubes is a great way to keep your drink cool without watering it down and maintains the tasty lemony flavor!
• A pitcher of lemonade will last for a week in the fridge, just remember to give it a good stir before serving.
• Want to make strawberry lemonade? Remove the stems from 8 ounces of fresh strawberries for a pitcher or 2 ounces for a glass. Then puree them in a blender or food processor until smooth. You can run the puree through a sieve to remove the seeds or use it as is. Stir the strawberry puree into your lemonade and it’s ready to drink. This method works for other berries and fruits too if you want to try different flavors like peach lemonade and blueberry lemonade.

Lemonade Recipe FAQ

Why is it called lemonade?

The suffix “ade” is added to any sweet drink that is not solely made of juice. We call the liquid from the oranges we juice at home or buy, orange juice because it is entirely made of orange juice and drinkable as such.

However, other citruses, like lemons and limes, are typically not drinkable unless they are diluted and sweetened. When water and a sweetener are added to a fruit juice it earns the addition of “ade” to its name.

Is drinking homemade lemonade good for you?

Lemonade is full of vitamins, like Vitamin C, and antioxidants, all of which help your immune system keep you healthy! This simple homemade lemonade recipe is made with three ingredients, and no crazy chemicals or additives you can’t pronounce. So it’s healthier than many of the other drinks found on the grocery shelves. Bonus: You can always adjust the amount of sugar in your simple syrup to lower the grams of sugar per glass.

What is pink lemonade?

Pink lemonade starts out as a standard lemonade that then has a few things added to it. The coloring usually comes from either red food coloring or the addition of red or pink juice like cranberry juice, grenadine, pink grapefruit juice, or strawberry juice.

Cranberry or grenadine are the most popular ways to make homemade pink lemonade. More sugar is added to pink lemonade as well, to give it an even sweeter flavor.

Other Recipes You May Like

• Peach Sweet Tea
• Copycat Sonic Cherry Limeade
• Hawaiian Punch Recipe
• Blackberry Lemonade Punch
• How to Make Simple Syrup

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