drink · Drink

How to Make Fresh Lemonade

Name: How to Make Fresh Lemonade
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 6-8 lemons; 1 cup water; 3/4 cup sugar; 4 cups cold water

Real lemonade needs three things: fresh lemons, sugar, and cold water. Juice the lemons first, dissolve sugar in a little hot water to make simple syrup, then combine with cold water. The secret is balancing sweet and tart until it tastes like sunshine in a glass.

Total time: 40 min
Hands-on: 15 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

6-8 lemons
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
4 cups cold water

Step by step

Roll and juice the lemons. Roll 6-8 lemons on the counter, pressing down hard. This breaks the membranes inside. Cut in half and juice by hand or with a reamer. You want about 1 cup of juice. Leave the pulp in—it adds body.
Make simple syrup. Heat 1 cup water in a small saucepan until it just starts to simmer. Add 3/4 cup sugar and stir until completely dissolved. This takes about 2 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
Combine and balance. Pour the lemon juice and syrup into a pitcher. Add 4 cups of cold water. Stir well. Taste and adjust—add more water if too strong, more lemon juice if too sweet, more syrup if too tart.
Chill and serve. Fill the pitcher with ice or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve over ice in tall glasses. The flavor gets better as it sits and the elements marry.

Tips & troubleshooting

Room temperature lemons yield more juice than cold ones
Strain the lemonade if you prefer it without pulp, but the pulp adds texture and flavor
Make extra simple syrup and store it in the fridge—it keeps for weeks
Add a pinch of salt to brighten the flavors
Freeze lemon slices in ice cube trays to keep drinks cold without diluting them

Variations

Pink Lemonade. Add 2 tablespoons of cranberry juice or grenadine for color and a hint of berry flavor
Sparkling Lemonade. Replace half the water with sparkling water, added just before serving to keep the fizz
Honey Lemonade. Replace sugar with 1/2 cup honey dissolved in warm water. Creates a smoother, more complex sweetness
Mint Lemonade. Muddle 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves in the pitcher before adding other ingredients

Questions

Can I use bottled lemon juice?: Fresh lemons make all the difference. Bottled juice tastes flat and often has preservatives that change the flavor. If you must use bottled, use less—it's more concentrated.
How long does fresh lemonade keep?: Three days in the refrigerator. After that, the bright lemon flavor starts to fade and it can taste stale.
Why is my lemonade bitter?: You probably got too much pith—the white part under the peel. Squeeze gently and avoid pressing the rinds into the juicer.
Can I make it ahead for a party?: Make the concentrate with lemon juice and simple syrup up to a day ahead. Add the water and ice just before serving to keep it fresh and properly diluted.