Description
A refreshing and simple homemade lemonade recipe perfect for summer days.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 cups water, divided
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2–3 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8–12 large lemons)
- Ice, optional
- Lemon slices, optional
- Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Peel the skin off of 2 lemons using a vegetable peeler or knife and set aside for juicing.
- Freshly squeeze the lemons to get 2-3 cups of lemon juice, straining seeds and large pulp as needed.
- In a medium pan over medium-high heat, bring 1 cup of water, granulated sugar, and lemon zest strips to a simmer for about 4-5 minutes to dissolve sugar.
- Remove from heat, allow syrup to cool, then strain and refrigerate.
- In a large pitcher, combine the syrup with ice, lemon slices, fresh mint leaves, 2 cups lemon juice, and 4 cups water. Stir to combine and adjust taste if necessary.
- Refrigerate until chilled, then serve over ice with a sprig of mint and a lemon wheel for garnish.
Notes
For a different flavor, you can swap sugar for honey or maple syrup. Adjust sweetness and tartness to your liking by adding more water or lemon juice gradually.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stirring
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 36g
- Sodium: 0mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 0.2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg