Easy Homemade Lemonade

Lemonade is such a nostalgic summer beverage! It brings to mind all kinds of happy things. Easy Homemade Lemonade is the perfect recipe for the hot days ahead. 

So… this is pretty much the perfect summer drink.

I flipping LOVE lemonade. So does Evan, my littlest guy (that is quickly becoming so so big! My sister sent me an old photo of my boys the other day and all I could think about were chubby fingers and sticky faces long before the days of Xbox and Minecraft). Andrew eh… not so much. Except THIS lemonade he guzzled and came back for seconds and I had to be a smartass about it and say, “But I thought you didn’t like lemonade?!!”

I got the Eyeroll.

When we grab a quick bite to eat I am totally the mom that makes my kids share a drink. I learned this trick from my own parents trying to juggle a brood of 5. I’m talking 99 cent menu. Value meal WHAT? $6 a person is not a value. If we are eating fast food garbage $3 is my limit. Love me a 99 cent salad thankyouverymuch.

I am not a hypocrite though. Chad and I always share a drink. But the drink sharing poses a problem and I am always the one to sacrifice by letting Chad get whatever he wants which is NEVER EVER the Minute Maid Light Lemonade and almost every time starts with Dr. and ends with Pepper. It’s the little things that make me an awesome girlfriend. Anyway.

Never getting the drink we want puts Evan and I in the same lemonade-less boat. Logistics would point to sharing with Evan instead of Chad, but since Chad and Andrew are both too manly to share a drink, and also because I refuse to donate $6 to fountain soft drinks – we just do without.

But I got tired of life without lemonade.

So I made my own. And now, for the same $6 I can have lemonade all week!! Take THAT Minute Maid (just kidding. I still love you.).

This lemonade is tart and sweet and everything you ever wanted a cool refreshing glass to be. And even the lemonade haters wanted more. It’s the Lemonade Reformation. Get on board!

Easy Homemade Lemonade

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: Heather Tullos

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6-7 lemons
• 1-1½ cups sugar (this amount can be reduced according to taste)
• 8 cups water, divided

Instructions

1. Zest 3 of the lemons.
2. Place the lemon zest and the sugar in a small saucepan (1-2 quart) with 2 cups of the water.
3. Stir and bring to a simmer but don't boil-- you just want to dissolve the sugar and get the lemon zest flavor into the liquid. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture steep.
4. Juice the remaining lemons (and the 3 you zested). I pour the juice through a fine mesh strainer straight into the pitcher because I completely hate on some pulp. This step is not necessary-- it's all about preference.
5. Pour the simple syrup you made with the lemon zest into the pitcher with the lemon juice. I also pour this through a fine mesh strainer to remove the zest, but again-- it's preferential.
6. Stir.
7. Add the remaining 6 cups of water.
8. Taste.
9. Add more water if it is too sweet/tart. Pour over ice and serve immediately or let it chill and serve later!

Notes

Watch the sugar! If you are not partial to things being too sweet go easy to begin with.

3.2.2089