Homemade Lemonade Recipe

Made from scratch with simple ingredients, this lemonade recipe might be the easiest crowd-pleaser for a BBQ, or any hot summer day.

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Servings: 8 servings

Add 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir slowly until the sugar has dissolved, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let this cool, then add to a pitcher.
While that’s cooling, juice 8 lemons. Cold lemons are difficult to juice, make sure they’re at room temperature. Press firmly with your palm and roll them on the counter. Cut them in half, and use a juicer or your hands to squeeze 1 ½ cups of fresh lemon juice into the pitcher. Stir together with the liquid sugar.
Lastly add 7 cups of water and stir. Place the pitcher in the fridge until chilled. Adding ice now will dilute the mixture. If adding ice and lemon slices, do so just before serving.

You’ll need about 1 cup of lemon juice for every 4 cups of water. 6 lemons provide roughly 1 cup of fresh lemon juice.
A rule of thumb for the ratio is 1:1:3 – one part lemon juice, one part sugar, and three parts water. After this is achieved, adjust to your tastes. If it’s tart, add more sugar, too sweet? Add more lemon juice.
A pinch of salt can help reduce the bitterness of the lemons and enhance their flavor. Add small amounts and test as you go.
Chill this beverage before adding ice. Chilling with ice will dilute it. Instead, add ice just before serving.
Always use fresh lemons for the best results because bottled lemon juice will deliver a different flavor.
Refrigerate – This can be stored in the fridge up to a week. I recommend giving it a stir before drinking.

The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.

Save This Recipe:Follow us on Pinterest @MadeByAndi