How to Make Homemade Lemonade
This website uses affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase.
Learn how to make Homemade Lemonade with this simple recipe! Whenever you have fresh lemons, this is a must make recipe for a cool and tasty drink!
If you love making homemade cold beverages as much as I do, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like my Organic Pink Lemonade, Homemade Sweetened Iced Tea, or Strawberry Limeade.
With the first day of summer coming up in just a couple days, I thought I would share a post on how to make homemade lemonade. For me lemonade is a nostalgic drink that was only served in the summertime. Growing up in the Midwest, and it being pretty cold the rest of the year, summer was when we had lemonade.
I remember drinking lemonade all the time in the summer, and I even hosted my own lemonade stand in my front yard frequently. There is nothing better than a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. And it's even better if you make homemade lemonade yourself. It's better for you and it's even more tasty! So, I am going to show you how to make homemade lemonade.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
2 Ingredients: Making your own Homemade Lemonade is incredibly easy and it only requires 2 ingredients! While store bought lemonades can contain much more and even have artificial colors or natural flavors, both of which are harmful to your health. This is the biggest reason why I love making my own Homemade Lemonade, because it just has 2 ingredients!
Healthy: While lemonade is just sugar water and lemons, making your own Homemade Lemonade is so much healthier than buying it! So, when you are cravin that sweet taste of nostalgia, just make your own!
Adaptable: If you are looking for a lower sugar lemonade, you can easily reduce the sugar when you make it yourself. I am making a classic lemonade here, but if you try this and think you want less sugar, you can reduce it by a third or even half.
Ingredients
Organic Lemons: The first thing you'll need is lemons. I recommend using traditional lemons and not Meyer lemons for this recipe, as Meyer lemons are sweeter than traditional lemons. And if you use Meyer lemons, this might be too sweet, or you'll need to adjust the sugar. I recently got a bunch of lemons from a tree, so that's what I used in this lemonade. But, you can just as easily buy them at the Farmer's Market or at the grocery store.
Organic Cane Sugar: The second ingredient in homemade lemonade is sugar. Lemonade is a sweet drink, so sugar is key! I use organic cane sugar, which is the organic equivalent of granulated or white sugar. I highly recommend switching to organic cane sugar if you can as it's so much better for you and the environment, and it tastes better too! And with a recipe that has so few ingredients, those ingredients really matter. I love Wholesome and it's what I used here.
Water: The third ingredient in homemade lemonade is water. I use water and sugar to make a simple syrup, this is what sweetens the lemon juice. Then more water is added to the sweetened lemon juice to create homemade lemonade.
Health Benefits of Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a nutritional powerhouse known for its numerous health benefits! Rich in vitamin C, lemon juice boosts the immune system, aiding in the prevention of colds and other illnesses. Its potent antioxidant properties help combat oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and promote skin health by stimulating collagen production. Lemon juice also aids digestion by increasing stomach acid production, which can help break down food more efficiently and relieve symptoms of indigestion. Furthermore, it has natural diuretic properties that support kidney function and detoxification, promoting the elimination of toxins from the body. The citric acid in lemon juice can also help prevent kidney stones by increasing urine volume and pH, creating a less favorable environment for stone formation. Incorporating lemon juice into your diet can enhance overall health, from improving digestion to boosting immunity and skin vitality. So, if you're going to make lemonade, you should be making it with fresh lemons to reap all these benefits!
Tools Needed
Subscribe to Mimi's Organic Eats Channel
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for all the latest videos. Bake and cook along with John John and me on YouTube!
Subscribing is easy and just by subscribing, you are directly supporting my site!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
In a small saucepan, add 1/2 cup of water and the cane sugar. Put over medium heat and stir with a spatula or whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Step 2
Juice the lemons and add the lemon juice and simple syrup into a large pitcher. Add in the remaining 5 cups of water and stir to combine completely.
Step 3
Slice the additional lemon, and place slices in the pitcher or in the glasses for serving.
FAQ's
I make a simple syrup because this way the sugar is completely dissolved and you don't run the risk of it all sinking to the bottom of your homemade lemonade. When you use organic cane sugar, the crystals are a little larger than traditional granulated white sugar, therefore, it's best to make a simple syrup to assure its completely dissolved.
If you want to make this with less sugar, then make half the amount of simple syrup. Because simple syrup is a 1 to 1 ratio, you want to half both the water and the sugar to cut the sugar in half. I haven't tested this with less sugar, because I think it's perfect the way it is, but if you need less sugar or want to try, then go for it!
Homemade lemonade is a great mixer for cocktails during the summer months. It's so much better than store bought mixers! Bring this to your next barbecue and you have a drink everyone will love.
Yes! If you have Meyer lemons on hand you can definitely make this recipe with those. Meyer lemons are a little sweeter flavor profile and would also make a delicious lemonade.
Craving More?
How to Make Homemade Lemonade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 113 grams cane sugar
- 5 ½ cups water
- 1 ¼ cups lemon juice (about 4 to 6 lemons depending on size)
- 1 lemon (for serving)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add ½ cup of water and the cane sugar. Put over medium heat and stir with a spatula or whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
- Juice the lemons and add the lemon juice and simple syrup into a large pitcher. Add in the remaining 5 cups of water and stir to combine completely.
- Slice the additional lemon, and place slices in the pitcher or in the glasses for serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Join Our Organic Community
Leave a Comment