There are few drinks more thirst-quenching on a hot summer day than a nice tall glass of lemonade. While there are many lemonade options in the frozen food aisle at your local grocery store, none of them come close to the smell and shine of a pitcher of freshly made homemade lemonade.
Simple Homemade Lemonade Recipe
1 cup sugar, or other sweetener
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon (about 4-5 lemons)
A few lemon slices for garnish
3 cups of water
1 additional cup of water for the syrup
The easiest way to make lemonade is to start by mixing a batch of simple syrup (recipe below). Using syrup helps the sugar to blend more evenly into the lemonade and eliminates any grainy texture in the finished drink. You can mix extra mass with simple syrup and store in old liquor or wine in a bottle to drink one at a time.< /i>
For the lemonade, simply mix the lemon juice, simple syrup, and the remaining 3 cups of water in a pitcher and stir. Serve over ice.
Simple syrup
Place one cup of sugar (cane sugar is best, but any white sugar will do) and one cup of water in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring frequently. Boil for at least one minute or until all the sugar crystals have dissolved and the syrup appears clear. Remove from heat and use cold first.
Note: If you are using agave nectar, you may want to use a slightly smaller amount than most. being sweeter than regular sugar. If you use honey as a sweetener, it is best not to heat the mixture to boiling, as you will strip the honey of its unique floral and nutritive nuances.
Ginger Lemonade New Recipe
Using the homemade lemonade recipe above, peel an ounce of fresh ginger root (about an inch) and grind it using a microplane or fine Gruter cheese. Add the ground ginger sugar and water to make a simple syrup (see above). For a stronger ginger flavor, steep the ginger in syrup for several days at a time.
Lavender Lemonade recipe
Whenever using fresh lavender, it’s best to use a light hand—the subtly intoxicating happiness can quickly turn to over-smelling bitterness. For a nice fresh and floral lavender lemonade add 3-4 tablespoons of fresh lavender flowers and stems when making a simple syrup (see above). A full stem of lavender also makes an elegant garnish for the perfect lemonade.
Fresh Mint Lemonade Recipe
A bit of fresh mint adds a cool and refreshing element to your summer lemonade. Simply mix a dozen leaves in the bottom of each glass before adding ice cream and homemade lemonade (recipe above).
Rosemary Rosemary Cucumber Fresh Lemonade Recipe
For an elegant and delightful summertime drink the next time you have guests over, place a small sliced cucumber and the leaves from two large sprigs of fresh rosemary in a bowl. Using a fork, wooden spoon, or potato masher, gently crush the cucumber and rosemary leaves. Add simple syrup (see above) and let sit for an hour or so before straining into a pitcher. Add fresh lemon juice and water from the recipe above and garnish with fresh rosemary.
For an easy and simple berry cooler, mix a pint of fresh strawberries with lemon juice. Stir all the ingredients well before serving. All garnished with fresh strawberries, and some lemons to taste.
Lynchburg Lemonade Recipe
3 oranges
3 lemons
2 cups gum syrup (recipe below)
1 liter of vodka
1 tsp. orange blossom water
a glass of orange juice
1 cup cane sugar
1 cup of water
2 cups of fresh lemon juice
1 750mL bottle of Jack Daniels
Although Lynchburg, Tennessee is located in a dry county, it is home to the distillery of the famous Jack Daniel’s. In a typical Lynchburg Lemonade, it mixes equal parts Jack Daniel’s, sweet and sour, and triple sec topped with lemon lime soda. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it tastes decent. But if you want to serve your guests a real special treat, you’ll need a few more ingredients, and about a month before your Lynchburg Lemonade is ready to serve.
Wash the oranges and lemons thoroughly to remove any pesticides, waxes, or stickers. After peeling the vegetables, take off the thin outer skins of the lemons and place them in a large, airy, jar. Pour the gum syrup (recipe below) over the onion while it’s still hot. Wait for the mixture to cool, add vodka, orange juice, and orange blossom water. Seal tightly and sit in a cool, dry place for about a month.
On the day of your party, boil the remaining water and sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the syrup from the heat and cool. Take a live sample of the taste of your finished homemade orange melt. If everything tastes good, add syrup, fresh lemon juice, and Jack Daniel’s to the orange liqueur. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon wedges and fresh cherries.
Gum Syrup
2 oz gum arabic
2 oz of water
8 oz cane sugar
4 oz of water
Dissolve gum arabic in 2 ounces of nearly boiling water. Heat the rest of the water and sugar in a separate pan. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the gum arabic. Cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.
Source: A thousand hot days and a hundred gallons of lemonade.
