I am not a food purist by any stretch. Not everything has to be from scratch and convenience foods can and do make everyone’s life a whole lot easier when it comes to cooking. However, there are certain things you should not mess with and homemade lemonade is one of them. Simply put, store bought lemonade has never and will never taste as good as homemade. Don’t fall for the “homemade” labels.
This is my mother’s recipe and it’s about as simple as it gets. Once you try it, you’ll kick store bought lemonade to the curb for good.
How easy is this recipe? Well, in the time that it would take you to get in the car and run to the store to buy the imposter, your homemade lemonade would be done. Unless of course you don’t have lemons, and then well, you have to go to the store. Sorry, I can’t help you with everything.
I add a cup of sugar in mine but feel free to adjust the quantity according to your taste. I have not tried an alternative sweetener but I suspect Stevia would be a good substitute. Finally, frozen berries dropped in the pitcher give a nice flavour. Frozen strawberries and raspberries are perfect.
Easy Homemade Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup cold water
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice about 8-10 lemons
- 8 cups cold water
Instructions
-
In a small saucepan ,stir sugar,1 cup water and lemon zest together. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let mixture cool completely. Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher to remove lemon zest. Add cold water and fresh lemon juice and stir well. Refrigerate.
And now what do you do with that lemony deliciousness sitting in a pitcher? Well I’m glad you asked. Here are few suggestions:
Freeze some in ice cube trays for your mixed drinks.
Or freeze it all in ice cube trays then toss in a blender for a frozen treat.
Add fresh raspberries or strawberries to the pitcher.
Add a little of your favourite vice. I’m partial the clear stuff – you know, vodka, tequila, rum.
Let the kids host a lemonade stand and charge a premium. What? This stuff is good.
Pour into popsicle molds for a refreshing treat on a hot day.
peady
Yummy!
The simple syrup is the magical key to this recipe. Pure sweet joy!
peady
Currently happening at Chez Peady. We felt you should know. 🙂
Candace Derickx
Thank you for letting me know. Hope you enjoyed it.
peady
Anytime!
It was such an event that there will be a photo heavy blog forthcoming. I think we found the best juicer for kids!
Plus we even came up with a frugal tip! Fun stuff!
Oh, and we are convinced it tastes best through a stripe-y, bendy straw. 😀