Homemade Lemonade

The best fresh squeezed Lemonade recipe, made with just 3 ingredients! It’s perfectly sweet and our favorite refreshing summer drink.

• 
  2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice , about 6-8 lemons
• 4 ½ – 5 cups water , divided

Combine sugar and 2 cups water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Strain the lemon juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart pitcher. Add simple syrup and stir to combine. Refrigerate until cold.When ready to serve, add 2 ½ cups of cold water and stir. Taste, and add more water if it’s too sweet. Serve over ice, if desired.

Lemon juice tips:

Step 1. Microwave the Lemons or Limes

I know it sounds weird, but I always stick my limes in the microwave for 15 – 30 seconds, usually in 15 second intervals. Warming the fruit up helps the juices to release and you can get so much more out this way.

Step 2: Use a juicer

How to juice a lemon without cutting it?

1. Roll your lemon to loosen up the membranes.
2. Using a clean skewer, needle, chopstick, toothpick, pin, or whatever long, sharp object you have handy, poke a hole in the non-stem end of the lemon.
3. Squeeze out as much juice as you need.
4. Store the lemon in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator until you need it again.