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Homemade Lemonade is a simple, 4 ingredient sweet and tangy drink that requires no boiling! Just squeeze and stir.
Homemade Lemonade
Freshly squeezed lemonade isn’t just for the young kids trying to make a quarter per cup! Grab your juicer (or gloved hands) and show those sour lemons whose boss! You can make your own refreshing glass of lemonade in no time!
Homemade lemonade is something that many of us dream about making, but never actually do. That’s crazy when you realize just how simple and easy lemonade from scratch can be to make! Seriously, it’s just a few ingredients (and I’m sure you can guess which) plus a little stirring, and you have a pitcher full of a delicious drink.
Making your own lemonade is not only a labor of love but also a great way to enjoy a simple lemonade recipe the way that it was meant to be. Store bought Koolaid packets have nothing compared to the overall taste of true lemonade. Once you’ve tried it for yourself, you’ll wonder why you’ve been missing out all of these years.
What’s In Lemonade?
- Lemon Juice- I always squeeze my own lemons. I haven’t tried making this recipe using the bottled juice that is kept in the fridge, so I can’t say for sure what the outcome would be.
- Sugar
- Water
- Ice- While the ice isn’t completely mandatory, I strongly recommend using the measured out ice. This will immediately chill your lemonade. If you don’t have ice, you’ll need to add some extra water to account for the water from the ice once it melts.
How to Make Lemonade
Making homemade lemonade really is as easy and squeezing, stirring and measuring.
First, juice your lemons. You can do this by hand squeezing them or using a hand juicer, there are many options on amazon if you are in the market for a hand juicer.
Once you have squeezed 2 cups of lemon juice, add 2 cups of granulated sugar to the lemon juice and whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved. Congrats, you have just made concentrated lemonade syrup!
Now we will measure out 5 cups of cold water into a large pitcher and then whisk the syrup into the water combining everything. Lastly, we will add 2 cups of ice to the pitcher. Most of this will melt (which is what we want!) but it will chill the lemonade for immediate consumption.
Like stated above, if you choose to forgo the ice, make sure you add some water to compensate for the missing liquid you’d get from the ice once it melts.
How long does homemade lemonade last?
If you keep your lemonade stored in the fridge, you can expect it to last up to a week and be just fine. Although the chances of getting your lemonade to last that long in the first place are nothing short of miraculous. 😉
Can I Make Popsicles With This Lemonade Recipe?
Absolutely! It is actually one of my favorite things to do with a batch of lemonade. If you are in the market for popsicle molds, this is the mold I have and love.
How to Flavor Lemonade
I actually have a full post on how to make Homemade Fruit Lemonades that will give you all the info you need.
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Lemonade
Ingredients
- 2 cups lemon juice, approx 6 large lemons
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 cups cold water
- 2 cups ice
Instructions
- Juice the lemons. Add the lemon juice and sugar to a bowl and whisk. Whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Measure out 5 cups of cold water in a large pitcher, add in the lemon & sugar mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Stir in the 2 cups of ice.
- Taste and add more water If needed, but remember when the ice melts it will be diluted a tad more.
I LOVE lemonade!!! Where did you get that cute pitcher??
It is just a large mason jar, 1/2 gallon mason jar. Thanks Sydnee!!
Was a high hit for the whole family!! Kids loved squeezing the lemons. We added the ice (and a little extra ice) to the blender to make an icee. Will be doing all summer long!