There's nothing like a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. Making homemade lemonade might seem as easy as 1-2-3, but throwing some lemon juice, water, and sugar into a pitcher is not going to make splendid lemonade -- the sugar will just sink to the bottom. That's why most folks stick to canned mixes or premade juices. But, here's the thing: Homemade lemonade is actually easy to make! All you need to do is prepare a simple syrup -- and our recipe will show you how.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar and water to create a simple syrup. Bring to a simmer. Using a wooden spoon, stir the syrup to help the sugar dissolve more quickly, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Set it aside.
As the water and sugar are heating, wash and dry the lemons. Massage the lemons on a hard surface to soften the pulp.
Juice the lemons using either a juicer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. If you use a juicer, slice the lemons in half lengthwise in order to extract more juice. Juice the lemons until you have 1 cup of juice.
If you use a stand mixer, cut your lemons into quarters. Toss the quartered lemons into the bowl of the stand mixer. Place plastic or a splash guard on the bowl. Mix the lemons until the juice has been extracted from them. Pour the lemon juice through a sieve into a small bowl. Discard the lemon seeds and pulp.
Combine the lemon juice and the simple syrup in a pitcher. Pour in cold water to taste -- more can be added later. Adding ice will naturally dilute the lemonade.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Room-temperature lemons help soften the pulp, making it easier to juice.
If the lemonade is too sweet, add a little more lemon juice to it. If the lemonade is sour, add a bit of sugar to it.
Classic lemonade will always be summer's best sip, but that doesn't mean you can't change things up a bit. Here are some tasty ideas for a not-so-basic lemonade.
This summer, try your hand at making easy homemade lemonade, and live life to your tastes by creating new and exciting flavors.