The Best Homemade Lemonade

lemonade in a glass jar with a slice of lemon on the side and pebble ice in the glass

5 from 2 votes

Classic homemade lemonade made with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, fragrant lemon zest, and a simple syrup — sweet, tart, and perfectly balanced.

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time5

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: drink, fruit, juice, lemonade, lemons, non alcoholic

Servings: cups

Author: Courtney O'Dell

Equipment

Microplane Classic Zester Grater, Black
Vinci Hands-Free Patented Electric Citrus Juicer 1-Button Easy Press Lemon Lime Orange Grapefruit Juice Squeezer Easy to Clean Juicer Machine, Black/Stainless Steel
Glass Water Pitcher with Spout – Elegant Serving Carafe for Water, Juice, Sangria, Lemonade, and Cocktails – Crystal-Clear Glass Beverage Pitcher. (31259)
YUNCANG Glass Pitcher with Lid - Water Carafe 108 oz - 3000ML Iced Tea, Juice, Milk, Coffee, Lemonade - Borosilicate Boiling Glassware - Hot & Cold Beverages
Zulay Metal 2-In-1 Lemon Lime Squeezer - Hand Juicer Lemon Squeezer Gets Every Last Drop - Max Extraction Manual Citrus Juicer - Easy-to-Use Lemon Juicer Squeezer - Heavy-Duty Lemon Squeezer Manual

Ingredients

6 cups water divided
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tsp lemon zest about 3 lemons
Ice

Instructions

Heat the sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved.
Let cool completely.
Add the lemon juice and lemon zest to the cooled sugar water.
Combine the sugar lemon mixture with the remaining 4 cups of water.
Serve over ice.

Notes

You'll need about 6–8 lemons for 1 cup of juice - roll them firmly on the counter before cutting to break down the segments and get more juice from each one.

Room-temperature lemons yield significantly more juice than cold ones; take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before squeezing if you can

The simple syrup must cool completely before you combine it with the remaining water and lemon juice - pour into a heatproof bowl and refrigerate 10–15 minutes to speed it up.

Taste before serving and adjust: too tart ? add 1–2 tablespoons more simple syrup; too sweet ? squeeze in a little extra lemon juice.

For a less sweet lemonade, reduce sugar to ¾ cup; for a sweeter version, increase to 1¼ cups.

Store in a covered pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 5–7 days; stir before serving as the lemon zest can settle.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Sodium: 8mg | Sugar: 26g

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