Olla-Podrida: Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

It was only on rare occasions that my mother would make lemonade. I think the reason being was that it contained a decent amount of sugar, and she was afraid she would drink the entire pitcher. Yep, it was that good. But, considering the nutrition in the fresh lemon juice, I can’t help but think that offsets any negative aspects the sugar can bring. And, hey, with this hot weather we need to stay hydrated, right? I can’t think of a better way in which to do that than by drinking healthy quantities of this refreshing beverage.

Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (I used Melissa’s Meyer lemons*)
1 cup Sugar
4 cups water, divided

Make simple syrup by placing 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water into a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium/high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Add lemon juice and simple syrup to pitcher. Stir to blend. Add remaining 3 cups water, and stir until well mixed. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to chill. Pour into a tall glass (I like these) and enjoy! Garnish as you see fit.

If you’d like to make pink lemonade for the kids, stir in a half cup of maraschino cherry juice, and garnish with some cherries.

*Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons and will give your lemonade an excellent taste. I highly recommend using these whenever you make a sweet drink.