Best Homemade Lemonade Ever (2024)

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

5 mins

Total Time:

15 mins

Servings:

10

Yield:

10 8-ounce servings

Jump to Nutrition Facts

When life gives you lemons, make the Best Lemonade Ever! This aptly named recipe is as good as it gets: Sweet, tart, easy to throw together, and oh-so refreshing. Sweeten your day with our top-rated lemonade recipe (and get our best lemonade serving and storage tips).

Best Homemade Lemonade Ever (1)

Lemonade Ingredients

It couldn't be easier to make this homemade lemonade with just a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Sugar and Water
What makes this lemonade so special? The recipe starts with a simple syrup, which is just a fancy way of saying the first step is dissolving sugar in boiling water. This ensures the finished drink is totally cohesive and smooth (and it prevents sugar from collecting at the bottom of the pitcher).

Lemon Juice
Obviously, you'll need lemon juice to make homemade lemonade. Freshly squeezed juice is definitely the way to go if you have fresh lemons available, but bottled juice will work in a pinch.

Ice
There's nothing like a refreshing glass of ice cold lemonade to cool you down on a hot day. Just make sure to add the ice right before serving — you don't want it to dilute the sweet flavor.

How to Make Lemonade

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Making homemade lemonade is probably way easier than you think (and it's well worth the extra effort). You'll just need to follow a few simple steps.

Juice Your Lemons

Start by firmly rolling the lemons around on the counter. This will help release the juices and make your job a lot easier. Cut the lemon in half crosswise, then squeeze out the juice by hand or with a juicer.

Make sure to juice the lemons over a large measuring cup so you can see exactly how much liquid you have.

Make a Simple Syrup

It's shockingly simple to make simple syrup on the stove. Just combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil, and stir it until the sugar is dissolved.

Stir

Pour cold water into a pitcher. Stir in lemon juice and pulp, then add simple syrup to taste.

Serve

Serve over ice. If you're feeling fancy, garnish each glass with a fresh lemon slice or a candied lemon peel.

How to Store Fresh Lemonade

Store homemade lemonade in the fridge for about 5 to 7 days without ice. Since ice will dilute the mixture, it's best to add it right before serving. If the lemonade is in an open pitcher, cover it with storage wrap for maximum freshness.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"Tart and sweet ... just how we like it," says Sandy AZ. "If you don't like it that way, let it mellow down with some ice cubes. Will definitely make many more times 'cause I have two lemon trees bursting with fruit."

"This was wonderful," raves Melissa. "I served it at a Mother's Day barbecue, and everyone loved it. Since it was served in a large clear container, I floated two lemons sliced into rounds, and also half a bunch of fresh mint leaves. Very pretty, and the mint added a nice touch of flavor."

"This is a great recipe," according to PRESTO. "This was my first time making real lemonade, and I will definitely use this recipe again!"

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups white sugar

  • 1 cup water

  • 9 medium lemons, or more as needed

  • 7 cups ice-cold water

  • ice as needed

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    Best Homemade Lemonade Ever (3)

  2. Combine sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve sugar while mixture comes to a boil. Set aside to cool slightly.

    Best Homemade Lemonade Ever (4)

  3. Meanwhile, roll lemons around on your counter to soften. Cut in half crosswise, and squeeze into a liquid measuring cup. Add pulp to the juice, but discard any seeds. Continue juicing until you have 1 1/2 cups fresh juice and pulp.

    Best Homemade Lemonade Ever (5)

  4. Pour 7 cups ice-cold water into a pitcher. Stir in lemon juice and pulp, then add simple syrup to taste. Add ice.

    Best Homemade Lemonade Ever (6)

Recipe Tips

To make ahead, refrigerate the cooled simple syrup for up to one month. Continue with Step 3 when ready to serve.

Nine medium lemons should yield about 1 1/2 cups juice and pulp, but the number required will depend on the size you use.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

145Calories
38g Carbs
0g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe10
Calories145
% Daily Value *
Sodium6mg0%
Total Carbohydrate38g14%
Dietary Fiber0g0%
Total Sugars36g
Protein0g0%
Vitamin C17mg19%
Calcium9mg1%
Potassium48mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Powered by the ESHA Research Database © 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Best Homemade Lemonade Ever (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for lemonade? ›

Start with the proportions of 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of lemon juice. Reduce the sugar amount if you are using Meyer lemons or if you like your lemonade less sweet. (I usually use 3/4 cup of sugar.)

How much lemonade mix for 5 gallons? ›

You can probably fit 3 large batches of concentrate into a 5 gallon container, but I've only tried 2 and then bagged the rest. This method is simple for dispensing. Just pour out 8 cups at a time and add water and ice as directed.

What is the 7 step in making lemonade? ›

What are the 7 Steps of Making Lemonade?
  1. Wash fresh lemons.
  2. Combine sugar and water.
  3. Bring the sugar and water mixture to a simmer over medium heat. ...
  4. Cut the lemons in half and juice them. ...
  5. Add the lemon juice to a pitcher (paid link) of cold water.
  6. Add the simple syrup to the lemon juice mixture.
  7. Add ice and serve.
Feb 8, 2022

Does lemon help dissolve sugar? ›

Since the lemon juice dissolves the sugar, we can go straight from lemon juice to cold water and ice and serve the lemonade straight away.

How many lemons for 1 cup of juice? ›

How Much Juice Is in One Lemon? On average, there are 3 tablespoons of juice in one lemon. So, for a cup of fresh lemon juice, you would need 5 and a quarter lemons. Because some lemons are less juicy than others, it's safe to say you'll need 5 and a half lemons for a cup of lemon juice.

What are the ingredients of lemonade? ›

Ingredients
  • 1 ¾ cups white sugar.
  • 1 cup water.
  • 9 medium lemons, or more as needed.
  • 7 cups ice-cold water.
  • ice as needed.

How do you spruce up lemonade mix? ›

Mix with other fruit

Combine classic lemonade with summery fruit such as peaches, watermelon or berries. Chop the fruit and add to your lemonade for a simple (and pretty!) twist, and/or mix in a splash of fresh fruit juice or nectar.

What are the ingredients in country time lemonade mix? ›

SUGAR, FRUCTOSE, CITRIC ACID, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MALTODEXTRIN, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, SODIUM CITRATE, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), NATURAL FLAVOR, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, YELLOW 5 LAKE, SOY LECITHIN, TOCOPHEROL (PRESERVES FRESHNESS).

How much country time lemonade for 1 gallon? ›

Pour Country Time Drink Mix Level with Line Inside Cap: to 2 quart line twice; add cold water and ice to make 1 gallon (16 cups). Direction: Measure country time mix into cap just to line, or use 2 tablespoons of mix for single serving. Add more or less to taste.

How many lemons should I put in a gallon of water? ›

For 1 gallon of water, use 8 to 12 lemons and 2 cups of sugar. For 1 quart of water, use 2 to 3 lemons and 1/4 cup of sugar.

How to make lemonade Jamie Oliver? ›

Method. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a jug, add sugar to taste, elderflower cordial and mix well to dissolve. Put a few ice cubes in each glass, slice the remaining lemon and add to the glasses along with the frozen berries. Top up with sparkling water to taste and mix with a straw.

How to make Mel's lemonade from lemonade mouth? ›

Mel's Lemonade
  1. Step 1/2. ¾ cup sugar. 8 cups water. Dissolve the sugar in 1 cup (out of the 8) of hot water.
  2. Step 2/2. 4 lemons. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the remaining water, and squeeze the juice out of all 4 lemons, then add 1 lemon rind and stir.

Who should not drink lemon water? ›

If you are sensitive to tyramine, drinking lemon juice can trigger migraine headaches. Lemons can worsen heartburn symptoms in people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In high amounts, lemon juice can also irritate your stomach and cause nausea.

Should I add ice to lemonade before or after dissolving sugar? ›

The solubility of a substance decreases with decreases in temperature. After the addition of ice, the temperature of the lemonade decreases and dissolving sugar in cold water is difficult. Therefore, ice should be added to lemonade after dissolving the sugar.

Is lemon good for high blood pressure? ›

Studies have shown that lemon juice or orange juice contains a fair amount of potassium, vitamin C, riboflavin, magnesium and other phytonutrients that have a good effect on people with high blood pressure. So, you can use lemon juice, orange juice.

What is the compound of lemonade? ›

The short answer is that lemonade is definitely a mixture. There are all types of lemonade, but they all contain some sugar, water and flavoring. These components are all compounds themselves and are mixed together in no definite proportions to make lemonade.

What mixture is lemonade? ›

Lemonade is a combination of lemon juice, water, and sugar. The lemonade is an example of a hom*ogeneous mixture. A hom*ogeneous mixture has the same composition throughout.

What is the chemical formula for lemon juice? ›

Citric Acid is a weak acid with a chemical formula C6H8O7. It can occur in two forms – monohydrate or water-free (anhydrous). This acid is usually found in citrus fruits like lemons, oranges etc. It is considered as a tribasic acid.

What is the solution of lemonade? ›

Mixed together, lemon juice, water, and sugar form a solution. A solution is a mixture in which the different kinds of matter are spread out evenly. In lemonade, water is called the solvent. Sugar and lemon juice are solutes.

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