I wanted to separate out this super simple homemade lemonade recipe from the recipe it was previously associated with — Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade. Now – Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade is delicious, for sure ! I’m taking no shots at that recipe but sometimes people want an easy way to get to something….so I wanted this recipe to be found stand-alone.
Once again I had way way too many lemons ready to be used and I’d already given a bunch to neighbors. And…today I went for a hike into the east county (farther from the coast is HOTTER) which gets less of the cool breeze as the prevailing winds from the west blow over the cool pacific – which is why San Diego is always (nearly always) at a perfect 72 degrees. So – out hiking. In the heat. For 4+ miles. I drank all my water that I’d brought and said to myself. Gosh – wish I had some freezing cold homemade lemonade to drink down.
So I came home and made some.
Sweetener : What Type and How Much ?
Choosing which type of sweetener to use is up to you. You can use all sugar, or part sugar and part sweetener. Please decide for yourself which way to go. I typically use 3/4 C total sweetener for 1 C of lemon juice – which makes 2 QTs of fresh lemonade.
Once you get a taste of your lemonade you may decide that you’d like to make it sweeter. Of course if you’d like it sweeter, go ahead and add more sugar / sweetener. Whatever makes you happy!
I like to use 1/2 C Sugar and 1/4 Cup of sugar substitute solely to cut down on calories. I use the 1:1 Truvia – but please read your sweetener label carefully and make any adjustments necessary to target the 3/4 C total Sugar.
Method for mixing in sugar – three options :
There are three ways to prepare the lemon / sugar mixture for your lemonade and it basically depends on how much time you have and which method seems easiest for you.
- The first way is to warm 1:1 water : sugar. 3/4 C water in a small pot with 3/4 C sugar. This is basically simple syrup. You could also do this in the microwave. Simple syrup can be used in a variety of cocktails. Of course you could keep some simple syrup on the side and use it to make your cup of lemonade even sweeter! Simple syrup can be kept in the fridge for up to a month. So if you have a ton of lemons and want to make it easier to make the next batch of lemonade – make a double of simple syrup! The issue with the simple syrup is that you ought to let it cool before using it / combining it with the lemon juice.
- Alternately you can dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice. This can be done by slowly and patiently stirring the mixture – while it rests on the counter and slowly combines.
- Another way is to dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice – and aiding it along by microwaving the sugar / lemon juice just a bit ( ~30 seconds ) then stirring…. until it’s well combined. (This is my most used method.) Just don’t get the lemon juice too warm…. Some say that if lemon juice is warmed it can turn a brown color and you can lose the benefits of the vitamin C in the lemonade….
So choose your method – and your amount and type of sweetener and you are on your way!
How to properly juice your lemons
I’m not sure where I learned it – but along the way I learned that you turn your fruit ‘upside down’ when you put it into the juicer. Meaning – the largest open fruit side (middle of the lemon) needs to be face down into the juicer. When you close the juicer the rounded (right hand portion shown below) presses through the fruit and actually produces more juice than doing it the other way around.
- I cut the ends off the lemons and discard. I have found it easier to juice the fruit when there is less of the ends in the way of the juicing.
- Then I cut the lemon in half. If the half of the lemon is too big to fit (middle of the lemon side down) into my hand held juicer – I’ll cut the lemon in half again – into quarters.
- Juice the lemon – no matter how it’s cut (half or quarters) with the lemon rind side up.
How to choose your lemons
If you haven’t got a lemon tree bursting with lemons and are buying them at the grocery store – generally you’ll want to consider the following items:
- Choose heavy lemons at the grocery store. The heaviest lemons ought to produce the most juice
- Consider lemons that smell delicious. As with picking other fruit – if it doesn’t smell delicious it probably won’t be.
- Consider the rind of the lemon – is it blemish free and smooth? If you are paying for the fruit and potentially using the rind or zest of the lemon you’ll want to pay more attention to the rind.
How much juice to expect out of one lemon ?
I read that a lemon about the size of a tennis ball might have 2-3 tablespoons of juice in them.
Two tablespoons is equivalent to an ounce. You need 1 C of juice for lemonade (which is 8 oz) so you could need up to 8 lemons. If your lemons are larger – you’ll need less. Eight lemons seems like a lot – especially when you are paying for them at a grocery… Maybe if it’s winter and you are located in the NE of the states – maybe it would take 8 lemons … However, I just got 1 C of juice out of 3 very large juicy lemons… All this to say, pick your lemons well. 🙂
Super Simple Homemade Lemonade
Equipment
- 2 Qt Liquid container
- Hand Held Citrus Juicer
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Lemon Juice – Squeeze 6 – 8 Large Lemons
- ½ Cup Sugar
- ¼ Cup Truvia Sweetener – Monk Fruit or Stevia
- Water – to make 2 Quarts
Instructions
- Squeeze the lemons to get ~1 C of fresh lemon juice.
- Mix the sugar with the lemon juice and be patient for the sugar to break down and incorporate into the juice. If you are in a hurry or are impatient like me – you can nuke the mixture for about 30 seconds and stir and let rest on the counter for a while till cool again. (SEE NOTES)
- Add water to make 2 Qts and shake shake shake. If you are drinking this right away do not put the ice INTO the lemonade, rather put the ice into your glass. If you are not drinking the lemonade right away – you can use ice instead of the water. (Just thinking about diluting the lemonade properly)
- Enjoy!