Fresh Lemonade
Classic fresh lemonade made with real lemon juice and a quick simple syrup. Sweet, tart and ready to chill in 15 minutes.
100% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 15 min
- Serves
- 8
- Calories
- 105
- Protein
- 0 g
- Per serving
- $0.66
Why this recipe works
Fresh lemonade needs nothing more than lemons, sugar and water, and tastes nothing like the powdered kind. The ratio here lands sweet-tart down the middle — add more water for a lighter glass or more syrup for a sweeter one.
- Dissolving the sugar in hot water first (simple syrup) means it blends in completely, instead of settling as grit at the bottom of the pitcher.
- Rolling the lemons firmly on the counter before juicing breaks down the inner membranes and yields noticeably more juice.
- Mixing a concentrated syrup-and-juice base first, then diluting with cold water, makes it easy to taste and adjust before it's all mixed together.
Ingredients
To serve
You will need
- Small saucepan or heat-safe jar
- Citrus juicer
- Large pitcher
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Make the simple syrup
Stir the sugar and hot water together in a jar or small saucepan until the sugar fully dissolves. Let cool about 10 minutes.
Juice the lemons
Roll the lemons firmly on the counter, then halve and juice them, straining out the seeds, until you have 1 cup of juice.
Combine
Pour the cooled syrup and lemon juice into the pitcher.
Dilute and chill
Stir in the 5 cups of cold water. Refrigerate until cold, or pour straight over ice. Garnish with lemon slices or mint.
Cook's notes
- Taste the base (syrup plus lemon juice) before adding all the water — it's much easier to adjust sweetness at this concentrated stage.
- Hot days need more ice than water, since the ice will melt and dilute the lemonade as it sits.
- Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days; the flavor is best in the first 2 to 3.
Nutrition per serving
105 calories
$0.66 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 0% of calories | 0 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 100% of calories | 27 g |
| Fat | 0% of calories | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | |
| Sodium | 0 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
How do you make lemonade from scratch with lemons?
Dissolve sugar in hot water to make a simple syrup, mix it with fresh lemon juice, then dilute with cold water to taste. That's the whole method.
How long does fresh lemonade last?
About 5 days refrigerated in a covered pitcher. Fresh-squeezed juice loses a little brightness after the first few days.
Can you add fruit to lemonade?
Yes — muddle a cup of raspberries or strawberries into the pitcher, or add a few sprigs of fresh mint or lavender for a twist on the classic.
