Easy Homemade Lemonade
There’s nothing better than an ice-cold glass of homemade lemonade on a hot day.
Refreshing ice-cold lemonade really hits the spot on a hot day.
It’s so nice to have fresh homemade lemonade in the fridge to enjoy with meals or just as a quick pick-me-up.
About Simple Syrup
The trick to making the perfect lemonade is to make it with simple syrup.
Before knowing this I’ve made my share of lemonade where I added granulated sugar directly into the lemon juice and water.
And it just never seemed to be sweet enough.
Well that’s because the sugar didn’t dissolve and instead just sank right to the bottom.
So in this recipe, the lemonade is sweetened with a quick and easy homemade simple syrup.
Fresh berries can also be added to the pan when making the simple syrup to make a berry lemonade.
Serving
An option is to chill the glasses before serving.
And lemonade is so pretty served in various types of glasses such as a wine glass or Mason jar.
Let’s check out the ingredients.
Fresh lemons, granulated sugar, ice cubes, and water
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
A printable recipe with the measurements and instructions is located at the bottom of this post.
Simple Syrup
Zest the lemon and set aside for a moment.
Heat a saucepan on low to medium heat and add water,
…granulated sugar,
…and lemon zest.
Bring the sugar mixture to a boil and stir.
Once the sugar dissolves (about 6 minutes) carefully transfer the mixture from the pan into a heat-proof bowl.
Let the bowl of simple syrup cool on the counter until the temperature drops enough to chill it in the refrigerator.
Chill the mixture in the refrigerator.
Lemonade
After the simple syrup has chilled in the refrigerator…
Juice and…
…strain the lemons.
Then in a large pitcher,
…add the strained lemon juice,
…chilled simple syrup,
…and water.
Then stir.
Next…
…to the pitcher…
…add ice.
Garnish
Slice a lemon into about ½-inch wide slices, remove the seeds and…
…add to the pitcher.
Serve
As an option, chill the glasses in the freezer ahead of time.
Serve right away while ice cold.
Serve over more ice, garnish with a sliced lemon.
Thank you so much for stopping by CCC!
SUBSCRIBE TO CCC
Don’t Miss a CCC Recipe! Subscribe now to Coupon Clipping Cook and get an email each time we have a new post. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO COUPON CLIPPING COOK.
Fresh Homemade Lemonade
Ingredients
Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- Zest from one lemon
Lemonade:
- 1 cup fresh squeezed and strained lemon juice about 4 to 5 lemons
- 4 cups cold water
- 4 to 5 cups of ice cubes
- 1 lemon, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices (remove the seeds if possible) for garnish
Instructions
Simple Syrup:
- Heat a sauce pan on low to medium heat and add water, sugar, and lemon zest.
- Bring the sugar and water mixture to a boil and stir.
- Once the sugar dissolves (about 6 minutes) carefully transfer the mixture from the pan into a heat-proof bowl.
- Let the bowl of simple syrup cool on the counter until the temperature drops enough to chill it in the refrigerator. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator.
Lemonade:
- After the simple syrup has chilled in the refrigerator…
- In a large pitcher, add the strained lemon juice, chilled simple syrup, and water. Stir together and add the ice
Serve:
- Add sliced lemons to the pitcher and the serving glasses for garnish. Serve over more ice.
- Serve right away while ice cold.
- As an option, chill the serving glasses in the freezer ahead of time.
This recipe was originally posted on June 15, 2013.
Drinks Made with Fruit or Berries
More refreshing drinks made with fruit or berries; “Blueberry Limeade“, “Peach, Lemon and Iced Tea Agua Fresca” and “Pink Lemonade with Pomegranate Juice“.
Refreshing Drinks
Easy refreshing drinks:
Very Cherry Shirley Temple with Lime
Lemon, Mint and Orange Iced Tea
Recipes Made with Lemon
Popular recipes that are made with lemon:
Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Streusel
Lemon Butter and Poppy Seed Popcorn
I have a tree covered with lemons. Definitely going to make this. Also love the mason jar idea.
Thank you Jan!
This lemonade sounds so good. Especially in this Texas heat lol. Have a wonderful weekend, and thank you for sharing!
Hi Amy, I was just in Texas and it was so hot. I actually had a lemonade and it never tasted so good in that Texas heat. Thank you for stopping by and have a nice weekend!