Homemade Lemonade: the easy, refreshing drink recipe for making the best lemonade from scratch

Homemade Lemonade is an easy, refreshing drink recipe perfect for summer hot days. Sweet yet tart, it's made with very simple ingredients. You need fresh squeezed lemons, water and sugar to make a sweet syrup that you should dilute with a good amount of still or sparkling water. Next, mix everything with a spoon and serve your delicious lemonade with ice and fresh lemon slices.

If you think you don't have to make syrup when you're in the mood for lemonade, you're wrong. If you pour and mix all these ingredients in a glass, you will notice that the sugar will start to fall to the bottom, getting a sour drink. In contrast, the syrup is slightly liquid so it dissolve more easily, making the lemonade sweeter.

This homemade lemonade recipe is delicious and healthier than the store-bought concentrates as it's high in vitamin C. You can also use it for for making genuine desserts such as popsicles, slushes and sorbets.

Tips for Homemade Lemonade

For this recipe, use organic, fresh, juicy lemons. If you are at the supermarket, make sure those citrus fruits are tender when you touch them and slightly heavier than others of the same size. If they meet these requirements, it is likely that those lemons are very juicy. Otherwise, Meyer lemons are a good option if you want to make a less sweet drink.

If you want to enhance the lemonade flavor, add grated zest to the simple syrup as we did.

If you don't want to use granulated sugar, you can make lemonade with 1/2 cup of honey. Add half a teaspoon at a time to regulate sweetness.

Lemonade Flavor Variations

You can flavor your lemonade as you want. Try the recipe with strawberries, or with turmeric. If you like delicate drinks, try also out lavender lemonade.

How to store Homemade Lemonade

You can store your homemade lemonade in the refrigerator for about a week. Make sure not to add ice as it will dilute the mixture once melted. You can add ice cubes just before serving lemonade. If you want to keep just the lemonade syrup, you can store it in a sterilized bottle for about a month. Before serving, thin it with water.

You can even freeze the lemonade syrup base in a freezer bag for up to 4 months, once cool. Before serving, let it thaw, then add water until sweet enough.

How to make Lemonade

Wash the lemons at room temperature thoroughly and dry them with a kitchen towel. Cut them in half and, with the help of the juicer, make the juice until you het 250 ml 1. Strain it to eliminate any seeds.

Add the sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice in a saucepan 2.

Pour the water 3.

Place the saucepan on the flame and stir with a wooden spoon 4. Meanwhile, grate the lemon zest, making sure not to include the white part under the peel, then add it to the syrup while cooking.

Cook until the mixture starts to thicken and nice bubbles appear, stirring constantly 5.

Strain the syrup through a dense mesh strainer and pour it into a sterilized bottle 6.

Mix 1 part of lemonade base and 4 of water 7, then close and refrigerate until cool.

Pour the fresh lemonade into glasses, garnish with a few lemon wedges and serve 8.