Homemade Lemonade Recipe

Juice the lemons

Roll lemons on the counter firmly to soften. Cut lemons in half and juice until you have 3 cups (about 12–16 medium lemons). Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup or bowl to remove seeds and excess pulp. Set aside.

Make simple syrup

Combine 1 cup water and 1.5 cups granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves completely and the liquid is clear (do not boil vigorously). Once dissolved, remove from heat and let the simple syrup cool for 5–10 minutes.

Combine and dilute

In a large pitcher (at least 2.5 liters/quarts), pour the strained lemon juice and the cooled simple syrup. Add 6 cups cold water and stir well. Taste and adjust: if too sweet, add up to 1 more cup cold water; if too tart, stir in 1–2 tablespoons sugar dissolved first in a bit of warm water or add a small amount of simple syrup.

Chill

Refrigerate the pitcher for at least 30 minutes so flavors meld and lemonade becomes cold. For faster chilling, add ice, but note that melting ice will dilute the lemonade further.

Prepare glasses: fill glasses with ice cubes. Pour lemonade over ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a sprig of fresh mint. Serve immediately.

Refills: To make two refills (serve approximately 3 total full pitchers worth of finished lemonade), scale quantities by making additional batches as needed. Store extra lemonade in the refrigerator covered for up to 3 days; stir before serving.