Homemade Lemonade from Fresh Lemons

5 from 1 vote

This homemade lemonade is fresh, bright, and perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweetness. Made with simple ingredients and easy to customize, it’s a classic, refreshing drink you’ll want to make all summer long.

Total Time15

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: freezer-friendly, fresh, from the garden, holiday, refreshing, summer, summer party drink

Servings: Gallon Pitcher

Calories: 1307kcal

Author: Angela Judd

Equipment

Pint sized jars
Leak proof lids
Hand juicer
Electric juicer
Pro citrus juicer This is my favorite for juicing citrus in bulk

Ingredients

1.5-2 cups sugar to taste
2 cups lemon juice see note
water - enough to fill up a gallon pitcher see note

Instructions

Freezing the Juice:

Anytime during the harvest window, rinse of the lemons, cut them in half, and use a juicer to extract as much juice as possible.
If you prefer less pulp you can strain the juice. Pour into clean pint-sized jars, leaving a little space at the top of the jar to allow for the juice to expand when it freezes.
Pop the jars into your freezer. When you’re ready to make lemonade during the summer, remove a jar and let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Freezing in pint jars makes it easy. One jar equals one gallon of lemonade.

Making the Lemonade:

Dissolve the Sugar: In a gallon pitcher, add your sugar and pour in a little warm water. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the Lemon Juice: Pour in 2 cups of lemon juice.
Fill with Water: Add enough cold water to fill the pitcher. Stir well to blend all the flavors.
Serve: Pour your homemade lemonade over ice and enjoy the refreshing flavor.

Notes

Lemon Juice: When lemons are in season, use freshly squeezed juice or thawed juice from the freezer (see how I freeze my juice above).

Water: Warm water dissolves the sugar best. After adding lemon juice, use cold water to fill up the rest of the gallon pitcher.

Optional: For a tart twist, I squeeze in juice from my Barbados cherries. It adds a nice kick and a big dose of vitamin C.

Nutrition