There’s nothing more refreshing than a glass of icy cold homemade lemonade on a hot summer day. And you will know when you taste the real freshly squeezed lemonade. The best part is it’s really simple to make this quintessential thirst quencher from scratch, and you can even make it in advance. Let’s enjoy homemade lemonade all summer long!
Homemade Lemonade 3 Ways!
Today I’m sharing three delicious homemade lemonade variations for the long summer ahead! In case you want a classic lemonade recipe, I’ve got you covered. I like to add lemon zest to elevate the flavor of the drink.
I’m also sharing a mint lemonade recipe. I fell in love with the combination when I tried it at a restaurant and it has been on rotation in my kitchen since. That inspired me to make my 3rd lemonade, thyme lemonade because thyme is my favorite herb! Both of these herb-infused lemonades make impressive mocktails you can serve at summer BBQs or parties.
You need only 3 ingredients to make classic homemade lemonade: fresh lemons, sugar, and water. The best way to make lemonade is to make a simple syrup first.
What is Simple Syrup?
Simple Syrup is sugar that has been dissolved in water. Granulated sugar does not dissolve easily in cold liquids and requires a lot of mixing. Simmering the mixture helps to speed up the dissolving process and to allow the water to absorb more sugar.
Simple syrup is typically made in a 1:1 mixture (1 cup water : 1 cup sugar). It takes just 5 minutes to make simple syrup while you juice your lemons. During the summer I make a big batch of simple syrup and keep it stored in the refrigerator (you can keep it for 6 months!). With simple syrup ready for use, making lemonade from scratch cannot be any easier!
3 Helpful Tips for Making Homemade Lemonade
Tip 1. Get an electric lemon squeezer.
If you make fresh lemonade often like we do, this electric lemon squeezer ($16) is a life saver! But if you have a storage space issue, get this lemon squeezer ($22) instead. When you make a big batch, these gadgets help you squeeze lemons efficiently and faster.
Tip 2. Add simple syrup last.
The key to making good homemade lemonade is balanced acidity and sweetness.
Some recipes combine lemon juice and simple syrup first to make “lemon syrup” and then combine it with water and ice.
My method is actually combining lemon juice and water first. Then add simple syrup last. Since the acidity of lemons varies greatly, adding the simple syrup last gives you full control of the sweetness. Taste as you go until you find the perfect ratio.
Tip 3. Add ice right before serving.
Nobody wants a diluted lemonade, so you want to add in the ice right before serving.
A Little Story Behind Homemade Lemonade
Our kids have been writing newspapers for fun while we work on recipes on weekends. Their newspaper is called “OUR STREET NAME” TIMES. The newspaper covers local news and domestic news, and sometimes their school life, along with the local weather and a small comic section. They are really into creating the newspaper for fun.
One weekend they decided to sell fresh lemonade and wrote in the newspaper about their “Lemonade Sale”. It was more of my daughter’s idea and she dragged my son into her project. She pulled out my old Home and Garden Cookbook and made fresh lemonade just enough for the neighbors.
It was a hot day, close to 80 ºF (27 ºC). My daughter drew the “lemonade sale” banner and they both set up the desk and chair and even found a colorful parasol from the garage that I haven’t seen in ages. I was pretty impressed.
The part you don’t know is that we live on top of a very steep hill. Our small street off the steep hill has only 10 houses. Basically, no one comes to our neighborhood except for the residents, mailman, and delivery guy. We never even had a trick-or-treater for the past 10 years!
So how was their first lemonade sale? Well, they finished selling all the freshly squeezed lemonade. Our kind neighbors helped them by bringing the banner up to the top of the hill, calling passersby to buy fresh lemonade from my kids. The things they learned:
- Mountain bikers and dog walkers on the hill do not carry cash.
- Need to find a better source for lemons because $1 per cup doesn’t quite cover the cost of lemons.
- They live in a community with very kind & supportive neighbors.
Have you made your first pitcher of lemonade yet? Do you or your kids have a lemonade stand story to share? We’d love to hear from you.
Other Homemade Drink Recipes
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Homemade Lemonade (Classic, Thyme, and Mint)
Ingredients
Simple Syrup (makes 3 cups)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup fresh thyme (for Thyme Lemonade)
For Classic Lemonade
- 2 tsp zest of 2 lemons
- 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 8-10 lemons)
- 3 cups cold water or sparkling water
For Mint Lemonade
- 2 tsp zest of 2 lemons
- 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 8-10 lemons)
- 3 cups cold water or sparkling water
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 tsp sugar
For Thyme Lemonade
- 2 tsp zest of 2 lemons
- 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 8-10 lemons)
- 3 cups cold water or sparkling water
For Serving and Garnish
- ice
- sliced lemons
- fresh mint leaves
- fresh thyme
Instructions
- Depends on lemons, the amount of juice varies. You will need about 8-10 lemons to get 2 cups of lemon juice.
★ Classic Lemonade
- Combine 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water in a saucepan and bringing to a simmer. Stir until sugar is dissolved and then let cool. You can keep this simple syrup for up to a month.
- Zest 2 lemons and add to the 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Cut lemons in half.
- Squeeze 8-10 lemons till you get 2 cups of lemon juice.
- If you have an electric lemon squeezer, it is helpful. Now in your measuring cup, you should have 2 cups of lemon juice and zest from 2 lemons.
- In a large pitcher, add zest from 2 lemons, pour 2 cups lemon juice, and 3 cups water.
- Gradually add the simple syrup and taste to reach the desired sweetness. I usually add 1 to 1 ¼ cup simple syrup depends on the lemons I use.
★ Mint Lemonade
- Make Classic Lemonade (See above).
- In a glass cup, combine ½ cup mint, sprinkle sugar, and a lemon wheel.
- Using a muddler or wooden spoon, gently muddle the mint leaves. Transfer the mint leaves to the lemonade pitcher and stir well.
★ Thyme Lemonade
- Combine 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, and ½ cup thyme in a saucepan and bringing to a simmer. Stir until sugar is dissolved and then let cool.
- In a large pitcher, add zest from 2 lemons, pour 2 cups lemon juice, and 3 cups water.
- Gradually add the thyme-infused simple syrup and thymes and taste to reach the desired sweetness. I usually add 1 cup to 1 ¼ cup simple syrup depends on the lemons I use.
Before Serving
- Chill the lemonade for at least 1 hour.
To Serve
- In a serving pitcher, add ice and lemon slices.
- For mint/thyme lemonade, use more mint/thyme for decoration.
To Store
- Keep the leftover lemonade (do not add ice!) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before storing, discard the mint leaves from ythe mint lemonade as they turn brown.
Nutrition
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