Making lemonade at home is one of those things that seems so simple you hardly think to look for a recipe... until you make it and it's too tart, too bland, or with sugar floating at the bottom. That's why today I'll tell you how to make traditional homemade lemonade, with the right balance of acidity and sweetness, and with a trick that makes the difference: dissolve the sugar in a light syrup.
You only need three ingredients: lemon, sugar and water. But if you use them in the correct proportions and give it a little twist, the result is a refreshing, light drink with a rounded flavor. Perfect to serve in a pitcher with ice and lemon slices, or to keep ready in the fridge when the heat hits.
And if you want to make it even more special, at the end I'll tell you how to intensify the lemon flavor , how to make it with sparkling water or which variations are wonderful. Because a good lemonade is not just for summer, it's meant to be enjoyed properly: homemade, well made and without artifices.
Ingredients (for approx. 1 liter)
- 4-5 large lemons (about 250 ml of juice)
- 100 g of sugar (you can adjust to taste)
- 750 ml of cold water
- Ice to taste
- Lemon slices and a few mint leaves (optional, for garnish when serving)
Step-by-step lemonade preparation
- Squeeze the lemons with a juicer and strain the juice to remove pulp and seeds. You should get about 250 ml.
- Make a simple syrup: in a small saucepan, mix the sugar with 100 ml of water and heat over low heat until the sugar dissolves completely. This prevents the sugar from remaining undissolved in the lemonade.
- Mix* in a pitcher the lemon juice (the WMF pitchers work great, I'll tell you why below), the cooled sugar syrup and the rest of the cold water (about 650 ml).
- Taste and adjust: if you like it sweeter, add a bit more syrup or sugar. If you prefer it more tart, a little more lemon juice.
- Serve with ice, lemon slices and, if you like, a few fresh mint leaves.
*If you want it to be very cold immediately, what works great is to pour the sugar syrup, water, the sugar and a few ice cubes into a blender jug. It comes out well mixed and chilled instantly, ready to serve! The important thing is to use a powerful blender, like the Magimix blender, with power and guarantee to crush the ice in no time.
Comments
Want a really intense lemonade?
If you notice, we've used a 1:3 ratio in our recipe (1 glass of lemonade to 3 glasses of water).
If you enjoy a strong lemon flavor, you can easily adjust the recipe: reduce the amount of water, using up to a ratio closer to 1:1 (for example, 500 ml of juice and 500 ml of water). That way you'll get a more tart lemonade with much more character.
You can also add a bit more lemon zest or even let the lemonade rest with a few slices inside to enhance the aroma. And if you're going to serve it with a lot of ice, this intense version is ideal: the ice will mellow it out gradually without losing the flavor.
Which pitchers should you use for the lemonade?
I recommend putting it in a pitcher with a filter that fits in the fridge door so you can chill it. The pitchers that meet both specifications are the Kineo WMF pitcher and the Swing-top pitcher: they have a filter that will hold back the ice and lemon slices when serving, making it very easy. Besides, they're beautiful!
Tips to make your lemonade even better
- If you're serving it at a table with guests, prepare it in advance and keep it in the fridge. It's much tastier well chilled.
- Use very juicy lemons and don't forget to wash them before juicing if you're going to use the peel for garnish.
- You can make a larger quantity and store it in a glass bottle in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Want to make sugar-free lemonade? Replace the syrup with your usual sweetener, but dissolve it also in a little hot water.
How to make lemon slush
Want to turn it into a slush? Now that you have your lemonade ready, just add it to the Slushi Ninja.
