Strawberry Lemonade Recipe

Prep strawberries and lemons

Rinse the strawberries, hull them (remove green tops) and pat dry. Juice enough lemons to yield 1 cup (about 4–5 medium lemons). Strain the lemon juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and excess pulp for a smooth lemonade.

Make strawberry purée

Place the hulled strawberries, 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons sugar in a blender. Purée on high until very smooth, about 30–45 seconds. If you prefer a smoother texture, press the purée through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove seeds; use the back of a spoon to help push the purée through. You should have roughly 1 to 1 1/4 cups of strawberry purée.

Taste the purée: it should be bright and slightly sweet. If the strawberries are underripe, add 1–2 additional tablespoons sugar to balance acidity, stirring until dissolved.

Combine sugar and water

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Add the optional lemon zest to infuse a subtle lemon aroma.

Heat to dissolve

Warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar fully dissolves and the syrup is clear, about 3–5 minutes. Do not boil vigorously. Once dissolved, remove from heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature. If you used lemon zest, strain it out before using.

Combine components

In a large pitcher, combine the strained lemon juice (1 cup), the strawberry purée and the cooled simple syrup. Stir to combine.

Add 3 cups cold water to the pitcher and stir. Taste the lemonade and adjust sweetness or strength: add more water if too strong, or up to 2 tablespoons additional simple syrup (or granulated sugar dissolved in a little warm water) if you prefer sweeter.

Chill

Refrigerate the assembled lemonade for at least 30 minutes so flavors meld. For immediate service, add plenty of ice to the pitcher; ice will dilute slightly as it melts.

Serve

Fill glasses with ice. Pour strawberry lemonade over the ice, garnish each glass with a lemon slice, a halved strawberry and a mint sprig if using. Stir briefly before drinking.

Storage: Keep leftover lemonade covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir or shake before serving; fresh lemonade may separate slightly over time.