Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Recipe

Prepare lemons

Roll each lemon firmly on the countertop with the palm of your hand to soften and release juice. Cut lemons in half crosswise.

Juice lemons

Using a handheld or electric citrus juicer, juice the lemon halves until you have about 1 to 1 1/4 cups (240–300 ml) of fresh lemon juice. Strain the juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup to remove seeds and pulp; press solids gently with a spoon to extract remaining juice.

Make simple syrup

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar fully dissolves and the liquid is clear (do not boil). Remove from heat and let cool slightly. This yields a smooth simple syrup that blends easily into cold water.

Combine and dilute

In a 2-quart (or larger) pitcher, pour the strained lemon juice and the cooled simple syrup. Add the remaining 5 cups of cold water (for a total of 6 cups water used: 1 hot for syrup + 5 cold). Stir well and taste.

Adjust sweetness and flavor

If the lemonade is too sweet, add up to 1/2 cup more cold water, a few tablespoons at a time, until desired tartness is reached. If too tart, dissolve 1–2 tablespoons sugar into a small amount of warm water and add. If using, add a pinch of salt to brighten flavors and stir to combine.

Chill and serve

Add ice cubes to the pitcher or to individual glasses. Pour lemonade over ice, garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves if desired. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving if settled.