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Pitcher of lemonade recipe with lemon slices and ice, ready to serve
Jonas Mitchell

Classic Lemonade

Refreshing homemade lemonade made with a proper simple syrup for a smooth, gritty-free result — sweet, tart, and ready in about 15 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Calories: 110
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water (for the simple syrup)
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 6-8 lemons)
  • 4 cups cold water
  • Ice, for serving
  • Lemon slices, for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 small saucepan
  • 1 large pitcher

Method
 

  1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 1 cup water. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar fully dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
  2. Juice the lemons to get 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice.
  3. In a large pitcher, combine the cooled simple syrup, lemon juice, and 4 cups cold water. Stir to combine.
  4. Taste and adjust — add more syrup for sweeter, more lemon juice for tarter.
  5. Serve over ice, garnished with lemon slices.

Notes

For extra flavor, rub lemon zest into the sugar before adding water until it looks like wet sand, then strain out before using. Store simple syrup and lemon juice separately in the fridge for up to a week to keep fresh.