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The Good Hearted Woman

Home Cooking & Cozy Living

  • SOURDOUGH RECIPES & RESOURCES

Freshly Squeezed: How to Make Perfect Homemade Lemonade

July 23 By Renée 15 Comments

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You only need three ingredients to stir up a pitcher of cool, refreshing homemade lemonade. Enjoy one of life’s simple pleasures today! 

Freshly Squeezed: How to Make Perfect Homemade Lemonade | The Good Hearted Woman
This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Lemon. Sugar. Water.

Three simple ingredients – lemon juice, sugar, and water – stirred together in the right proportions, create a potion worthy of Hogwarts own Professor Slughorn. For me, a cool glass of this magical concoction can conjure memories decades old: of brightly colored lemonade stands, and beating summer sun, and my mother’s red hibiscus lemonade pitcher.

What memories can a pitcher of fresh homemade lemonade make for you?

Paper straws are a fun way to add a little color and be kind to the environment to the same time. #noplasticstraws

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

When It Comes to Homemade Lemonade, Fresh is Best

Making a pitcher of freshly squeezed lemonade takes a little more time than stirring together sugar-powder (or frozen concentrate) and water, but the results are so worth it! 

In my experience, lemonade made from fresh lemons is smoother, brighter, and more vibrant. It has, at the same time, more kick and less astringency than that made from either a mix or concentrate, and it requires less sugar to achieve the same level of sweetness. Plus, when you make your own, you can be assured that the lemon juice is made from organic sources, if that’s important to you.

The Simple Syrup Controversy: To Turn on the Stove or Not

There are two schools of thought when it comes to making homemade lemonade: the “Simple Syrup” school, and the “No Stoves in Summer” school. As with most things in life, I live on middle ground: when it comes to making fresh lemonade – just do what you gotta do. 

If I have time, I’ll make the simple syrup because, after some experimenting, I have found that making a simple syrup first results in a smoother infusion with more body to it. In other words, a simple syrup will yield the best homemade lemonade. Period. 

Nevertheless, if it is just too dang hot out to turn on the stove, then go with it: you can make a fine pitcher of lemonade by simply stirring the three ingredients together. However, if you choose to skip the simple syrup step, I strongly suggest making the lemonade at least two hours before serving to allow the sugar to completely dissolve and blend.

Homemade Lemonade

Homemade Lemonade
5 from 6 votes

Homemade Lemonade from Fresh Lemons

Fresh lemonade - one of life's simplest pleasures.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lemonade, lemons, summer
Prep Time:15 minutes
Total Time:15 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

  • Citrus Juicer

Ingredients

  • 8 cups cold water
  • 1 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • Combine sugar and 1 cup of water in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature. (You can speed up the process by putting it in the freezer for 15 minutes.)
  • In a large pitcher, combine fresh lemon juice, cooled simple syrup, and remaining 7 cups of water.
  • Serve cold over ice.

Notes

This recipe was created using FRESH lemons. If you choose to use bottled lemon juice from concentrate (i.e., Real Lemon®, etc.) instead, add 1/4 cup more sugar to the simple syrup. 
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

How to Get the Most Juice Out of Your Lemons

Here are a few easy tips for getting the most juice possible out of those lovely lemons. (HINT: These tricks will work with any citrus fruit!)

  • Roll lemons firmly for one minute on the countertop before juicing. This action breaks down the membranes in the lemon that encapsulates the juice.  
  • Microwave lemons for 10-15 seconds before juicing. Same. 
  • Use a good, solid citrus juicer. I’ve owned a number of citrus juicers over the years – both manual and electric, and the one I have now is – by far – my favorite. It really does the job; plus, you can make nifty little towers from the empty peels!

Freshly Squeezed Lemons

PRO TIP: Don’t waste that valuable citrus zest! Zest citrus before juicing it, and freeze any zest that is not being used immediately. Add frozen zest to salads, breads, soups, casseroles, or just about anything to give it a little extra zip!

Wavy Line

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Freshly Squeezed: How to Make Perfect Homemade Lemonade | The Good Hearted Woman  Freshly Squeezed: How to Make Perfect Homemade Lemonade | The Good Hearted Woman
Wavy Line

Some thoughts on seasonal dishware…

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When you come right down to it, food should taste the same whether you serve it up on a paper plate or on fine china, right? But does it? Really?

Before you take that first bite, you take in food with your eyes, your nose, even your ears. The tone of a dining experience is set by the presentation. The goal is set a mood while making the food appealing to all the senses. Generally speaking, the better food looks, the more people are likely to enjoy it.

Until recently, I’ve always been quite pragmatic when it comes to dishware, but recently, as seasonal options become more and more affordable, I’ve jumped on board. There are so many beautiful – and extremely affordable – seasonal options, and this year, I picked up these colorful floral melamine dishes (perfect for backyard bbq’s!) halfway thru the season at 80% off. If you’re thinking of getting some summery dishes, now is the time to do it! 

Summer plates
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Fruit, lemons, seasonal

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About Renée

Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

Comments

  1. blankSharon says

    July 23 at

    A big glass of freshly squeezed lemonade sounds so good on hot days! Skip the powder, I’m trying this recipe asap.

    Reply
  2. blankBeth Pierce says

    July 23 at

    What a cool and refreshing drink perfect for summer! This was just what I needed on a hot day!

    Reply
  3. blankRaia says

    July 23 at

    So easy and delicious! Great recipe for the summer!

    Reply
  4. blankcheflolaskitchen says

    July 23 at

    Perfect to beat the summer heat!

    Reply
  5. blankCatherine @ To & Fro Fam says

    July 23 at

    I love homemade lemonade! I actually have a wonderful memory of waking up suuuuuuper early on my younger sister’s 16th birthday to make her homemade kiwi lemonade. The delight on her sleepy face was magic. I bet I’d get a similar reaction making this lemonade recipe for my kids!

    Reply
    • blankRenée ♥ says

      July 23 at

      Kiwi Lemonade sounds delicious!

      Reply
  6. blankVicky says

    July 23 at

    We have a lemon tree in our yard and my kids just love to pick lemons for fresh lemonade. You can’t go wrong with this yummy recipe.

    Reply
    • blankRenée ♥ says

      July 23 at

      Oh my gosh! Having been a resident of the PNW all my life, the idea of making lemonade from fresh lemons in your own yard sounds like a delicious fairy tale.

      Reply
  7. blankEmese @ My Pure Plants says

    July 23 at

    This is definitely a summer must-have. I always add some mint from my garden to my lemonade. And congrats for the paperstraw! Go Plastic-Free July!!!

    Reply
    • blankRenée ♥ says

      July 23 at

      Mint adds a nice finish, doesn’t it! And yes, we are slowly but surely getting rid of the disposable plastics in our lives.

      Reply
  8. blankHeather says

    July 23 at

    I have to try this! I’ve tried to make lemonade before but it never comes out right.

    Reply
    • blankRenée ♥ says

      July 23 at

      I think the biggest issue people have with homemade lemonade is adding too much sugar. This recipe leans toward less sugar, which allows that fresh lemon flavor to shine.

      Reply
  9. blankTamara says

    July 23 at

    I make this before and it was terrible. I see now that I had the wrong number of cups.

    Reply
    • blankRenée ♥ says

      July 23 at

      Getting the proportions right really makes a difference!

      Reply
  10. blankra says

    July 25 at

    This sounds incredibly refreshing! Can’t wait to give it a try!

    Reply

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