This homemade lemonade recipe is a summer legend at our house. The refreshing sweetness with just the right amount of tart is something that every member of the family asks for!
The bonus is that this recipe has only three ingredients: freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar & water and doesn’t require any preparation or simple syrup made ahead of time. It takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish to make this lemonade recipe from scratch.
A refreshing summer drink made from 3 simple ingredients – lemons, sugar, and water mixed to make a fresh lemonade to sip on a hot day.
Grab a straw and a lawn chair because there is just something special about a good lemonade. Homemade lemonade and sunny days of summer go together perfectly. Clasp your cool glass and stir the lemony goodness.
And after you’ve made this recipe, you’ll never have lemonade any other way. It is hands down the best and most delicious lemonade recipe out there.
Yum!
How to Make the Best Homemade Lemonade Recipe
- 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (you can use the bottled juice too)
- 5 cups cold water
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 lemons, for garnish
- Ice
Ingredients used for making homemade lemonade recipe – Fresh lemon juice and sugar
- Combine lemon juice, water, and sugar into a large pitcher and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Dump lemon slices onto the top of lemonade.
- Top with ice to keep it nice and cold.
Simple Syrup Alternative
You could also make a simple syrup with the sugar and 1 cup of water before mixing it with the lemon juice and remainder of the water. This ensures that you have no sugary grit in the lemonade. I typically do this with my homemade lemonade recipe, but it’s not a step that you must do.
I like to use fresh lemons for this recipe, but in a pinch, I have used lemon juice from a bottle and it’s pretty darn good!
Simple & Easy Lemonade Variations
You can make variations of this simple lemonade by adding your favorite fruit juices such as watermelon juice to make watermelon lemonade, strawberry puree to make strawberry lemonade, and so on.
You can add a pinch of salt to your lemonade to make it tastier! Try it and let me know in the comments below.
For adults only: You can make this an adult recipe by adding a little vodka into the recipe. This is not necessary at all but is an option!
A jug of simple refreshing lemonade to enjoy on a hot summer day made from fresh lemons and sugar.
Tips on storing your lemonade
- Home made lemonade will last in the fridge up to 5 days if stored properly.
- If you got a lot of fresh lemon juice, freeze them in an ice cube tray to last up to 4 months.
- You can make a concentrate of lemon juice and simple syrup ahead of time and store it in the fridge in case you are making lemonade in large quantities for the parties. Mix cold water as you need to make fresh lemonade recipe.
Is lemon-flavored desserts your favorite? Then you might like these lemonade cookies and lemonade cake.
Best Homemade Lemonade Recipe
Refreshing & tartly sweet. This lemonade recipe has stood the test of generations and is summer-approved. Whip up a quick batch of the best homemade lemonade you have ever tasted!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 5 Cups Cold Water
- 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
- 2 Lemons, for garnish
- Ice
Instructions
- Combine the lemon juice, water & sugar into a pitcher.
- Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add ice & lemon garnish.
Notes
- If you prefer to make a simple syrup ahead of time, add the sugar to 1 Cup of water and allow it to dissolve. This will eliminate any lemonade "grit".
- Homemade lemonade will last in the fridge up to 5 days if stored properly.
- If you got a lot of fresh lemon juice, freeze them in an ice cube tray to last up to 4 months.
Fun Facts about Lemon & Lemonade
Here at Kids Activities Blog, we are a little obsessed with fun facts. Here are a few fun facts about lemon that we thought you would enjoy:
- Lemon battery: An experiment that involves attaching nails & copper pieces to a bunch of lemons can create a battery that produces electricity. Several lemons can power a small light.
- Lemon cut in halves dipped in salt or baking soda can be used to brighten up copper and clean kitchenware.
- Lemon juice helps fruits such as apples, pears and peaches from turning brown after cutting.
- Around 75 lemons are used to produce 15ml of lemon essential oil. It is done by cold pressing the rinds of the lemons, producing oil which you can use for diffusing, skincare, cleaning, and also to make your own bath salt recipe.
- “Ade” in the Lemonade means fruit juice diluted with water and sweetened with sugar or honey.
- The first Sunday of May is celebrated as National Lemonade day. It was founded by Lisa and Michael Holthouse in 2007 to honor lemonade stand ideas to teach children about running a business.
- Do you know? It is illegal for kids to run lemonade stands in most of the states in America without permits.
More Drinks to Make This Summer!
- Yummy Pineapple Drink {Disney Inspired}
- 25 Kid-Friendly Frozen Drinks for Summer
- Strawberry Smoothie with Green Tea
- 19 of The Most Epic Milkshake Recipes
Inspired Summer Fun
Let making homemade lemonade with kids be the first thing on your summer journey…here are some ideas on what to do next:
- Summer camp activities
- Summer games for kids
- Here are a bunch of ways to play with water
- Create a kid movie club
- Create a PBKid Summer Reading Program at home
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