Homemade Lemonade

Every summer my kids look forward to making homemade lemonade.

Is it a little work? Sure.
Is it a little messy? Yes.
Is it’s a fun? Absolutely! And it’s a great way to get kids cooking in the kitchen!

Drum roll please:

This is my surefire way of making fantastic lemonade….. from scratch!

Start by slicing the lemons in half and juicing them into a small bowl. Clearly mine have a lot of seeds so I’ll need to strain the juice before I use it.

I used a simple mesh strainer to remove the pulp and seeds.

While you juice the lemons, dissolve the sugar in water over medium heat. It took about 5 minutes and I never let it reach a boil. I love making simple syrups — makes me feel like a kid in the candy store!

Once the simple syrup has cooled, add it to the pitcher along with the lemon juice. Whisk it all together and add three cups of water. I always taste it after three cups to see how much more water I need to make it perfect. Feel free to add some sliced lemon, strawberries or mint leaves to the pitcher…makes it look pretty!

And here it is! Preservative-free, homemade lemonade! We sipped ours while eating blueberries so pardon the sticky face! I LOVE summer!!

Homemade Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup lemon juice (5-6 lemons worth)
• 3-5 cups water

Directions:

1. Make the simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small sauce pan over medium high heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Then remove from the heat and set a side to cool.
2. Using a juice extractor, squeeze the juice from the lemons.
3. Add the juice and the sugar water to the pitcher and stir to combine.
4. Add in 3-5 cups of water, tasting in between until you reach your desired taste.
5. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Note: Since lemons can vary in strength, adjust water to lemon ratio to your desired taste, adding more lemon juice or water until it’s perfect!

Have you ever tried making lemonade at home? Please share your experience!