Minutemaid Lemonade Recipe

Juice and Zest

Roll the lemons on the countertop firmly to loosen juices. Zest one lemon to yield about 1 teaspoon of zest, then cut lemons and squeeze until you have 1 cup of fresh lemon juice. Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup to remove seeds and pulp.

Dissolve Sugar (or Use Simple Syrup)

If using granulated sugar: in a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1/4 cup warm water and stir until sugar is fully dissolved to make a quick sugar solution. If using simple syrup, skip this step and use the syrup measure from the optional section.

Mix Lemonade

In a 1.5–2 quart pitcher, combine the 1 cup strained lemon juice, the dissolved sugar solution (or 3 tbs simple syrup), and the freshly grated lemon zest. Add 3 cups cold water and stir thoroughly to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness or dilution: add up to 1/2 cup more water if too tart, or up to 1–2 tablespoons more sugar/syrup if too tart.

Chill and Serve

Add 2 cups ice to the pitcher or dispense ice into individual glasses. Pour the lemonade over ice. If you prefer a slightly fizzy finish, top each glass with sparkling water (about 1/4 cup per glass) just before serving.

Garnish each glass with a lemon slice on the rim and 2 fresh mint leaves. For a brighter aroma, clap mint between your palms before adding to release oils.

To make a pitcher of sparkling lemonade: replace up to 1 cup of the cold water in the recipe with sparkling water and add it right before serving to preserve bubbles.