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Fresh Homemade Lemonade

Zesty, Sour, Sweet and JUST THREE INGREDIENTS? What’s stopping you from making lemonade today? Fresh Homemade Lemonade is what you’ve been missing and your family will beg for more! So simple, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner! 

clear glass of homemade lemonade with lemons and reamer

 

Why This Recipe For Fresh Homemade Lemonade Works

  • Easy 
  • Just Three Ingredients
  • Ready LITERALLY in minutes. 

Here’s How To Make Fresh Homemade Lemonade

STEP 1.

Quickly melt sugar in water making a simple syrup. 

A photo of boiling water

Boiling Hot Water

STEP 2. 

Squeeze the juice from the lemons. 

A photo of a lemon reamer that is wooden and a lemon cut in half

Lemon Reamer and lemon

STEP 3. 

Mix together, pour over ice and enjoy! 

A photo of a cold glass of FRESH HOMEMADE LEMONADE CONCENTRATE from the top

FRESH HOMEMADE LEMONADE CONCENTRATE

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

How Do You Make Lemonade Without A Juicer?

No juicer? No problem! Lemons are EASILY squeezed by hand! 

  1. Roll the lemon on the counter top, pressing down some as you roll. 
  2. Cut the lemon in half at the equator.
  3. Hold your hand over a bowl. Squeeze the lemon into one palm with fingers closed so that you’ll catch the seeds and let the juice slip through to the bowl. Of course, its easier if you squeeze into a fine sieve or a coffee filter, but your hands are something you carry with you most of the time!. 

How Long Does This Lemonade Last?

This lemonade will be GONE before you know it, so you probably don’t even need to ask. That said, it will last in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 5 days. 

How Do You Make Liquid Sugar For Lemonade?

Liquid sugar for lemonade is made by following the first few steps of this recipe! You can also go check out the Simple Syrup post which describes how to make liquid sugar in detail!

Will The Lemonade Just Dissolve the Sugar if I Put It In the Water? 

Wouldn’t it be great if we could just add sugar to room temperature or cool water from the tap and it would dissolve straight away? 

Sure it would! 

That said, have you ever added sugar to your ice tea at a restaurant just to have the sugar fall in a pile down to the bottom of your glass? 

You can stir and stir and stir and NEVER get that sugar to dissolve! 

That’s the problem here. We solve that problem by melting the sugar in the water gently and it doesn’t take long to cool. The water doesn’t even have to be that hot to dissolve the sugar! 

So, stand right at the stove, stir the water and in just a minute or two, that sugar will be gone! 

Can I Freeze This Lemonade? 

You sure can! Thaw it out and drink it up! Perfect Summer drink! 

By the way, you can use this lemonade to make some darn good popsicles too!

lemons cut in half on wooden cutting board

TIPS and TRICKS for Fresh Homemade Lemonade!

  • You’ll want to buy the lemons in bags of several pounds. They are much more affordable this way.
  • The lemons for this recipe are about fist size. If yours are smaller, be sure to add more lemons. 
  • If you like added flavor and don’t mind some pulp, you can zest the outside of the lemons and add that to your lemonade for a burst of lemon flavor. 
  • Slice an extra lemon and add it to your lemonade for a beautiful garnish! 
  • Try mixing your lemonade half and half with tea for a “Jack Palmer” refreshing drink. 
  • Slice up strawberries, add blueberries or mint leaves to your lemonade for a spike of flavor. 
  • Want to know what the standards are for frozen lemonade concentrate? Here’s your answer from the USDA.

Pro Tip: Use slightly less water and add it as ice to your lemonade so that it will be ice cold right away! 

If You Enjoyed This Recipe, You Might Also Enjoy…

Ya’ll Help Me Out, OK? 

Be sure and leave a 5 STAR comment at the bottom of this page. That helps others find the recipes at Loaves and Dishes! 

a photo ofFRESH HOMEMADE LEMONADE CONCENTRATE from farther off showing the pitcher and the glass and the reamer and the lemon

Fresh Homemade Lemonade

Zesty, Sour, Sweet and JUST THREE INGREDIENTS? What’s stopping you from making lemonade today? Fresh Homemade Lemonade is what you’ve been missing and your family will beg for more! So simple, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: beverage
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fresh homemade lemonade, homemade lemonade
Prep Time: 18 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 128kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 Cups water
  • 1 Cup Sugar heaping
  • 8 lemons fist size with extra lemon sliced for garnish if desired

Instructions

  • In a saucepan, over low heat on the stovetop, heat 6 cups of water and 1 Cup of sugar. Stir continuously until the sugar is dissolved (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat immediately.
  • Roll the lemons on the counter top (this helps extract as much juice from each lemon as possible). Cut the lemon in half around the middle (not from stem blossom end, but around the equator). Squeeze the lemon juice from the lemon into a sieve held over a bowl in order to catch the seeds. Feel free to use a squeezer or a hand held reamer.
  • In a pitcher, mix the water sugar mixture with the lemon juice. Add lemon slices for garnish. Serve over ice. Refrigerate right away.

Notes

  • You’ll want to buy the lemons in bags of several pounds. They are much more affordable this way.
  • The lemons for this recipe are about fist size. If yours are smaller, be sure to add more lemons to make up for the smaller size.
  • If you like added flavor and don’t mind some pulp, you can zest the outside of the lemons and add that to your lemonade for a burst of lemon flavor.
  • Slice an extra lemon and add it to your lemonade for a beautiful garnish!
  • Try mixing your lemonade half and half with tea for a “Jack Palmer” refreshing drink.
  • Slice up strawberries, add blueberries or mint leaves to your lemonade for a spike of flavor.
    Pro Tip: Use slightly less water and add it as ice to your lemonade so that it will be ice cold right away!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Fresh Homemade Lemonade
Amount Per Serving
Calories 128 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Sodium 11mg0%
Potassium 149mg4%
Carbohydrates 35g12%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 28g31%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 24IU0%
Vitamin C 57mg69%
Calcium 33mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @loavesanddishes or tag #loavesanddishes!

Wendi is the writer, CEO and dishwasher at Loaves and Dishes! When not in the kitchen or behind the computer, you can find Wendi serving on International Food Conference Boards, Speaking at various conferences, Leading and Cooking for the local Arts Council's "Taste of Stokes" events or donating home cooked goodies to various local non profits such as the Danbury Songwriters and Stokes Partnership for Children. Wendi is also a Registered Nurse with a Master's Degree and serves on her town's board of councilmen.

Recipe Rating




Mary Alice

Thursday 8th of July 2021

BEST lemonade ever! always had made similar lemonade without heating the water to combine the sugar and water. Last of the jar was always sweeter because it didn’t dissolve. This way is so much better. Delicious 😋

Wendi Spraker

Monday 12th of July 2021

Awwww! Thanks! I'm so glad to hear it was a success!

Wendi Spraker

Saturday 9th of May 2020

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