Gallon Lemonade Recipe

Juice the lemons

Roll lemons on the counter to soften, cut in half and juice until you have 2 cups (about 8–10 medium lemons). Strain the juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup to remove seeds and excess pulp.

Dissolve the sugar

In a medium saucepan (or a heatproof bowl), combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 cup hot water (not listed separately) and stir until fully dissolved to make a quick simple syrup. Alternatively, if you prefer not to heat water, stir the sugar into 1 cup of the cold water vigorously until mostly dissolved, or use the optional ready-made simple syrup (1 cup) from the garnish section.

Combine and dilute

In a clean 1-gallon (or larger) pitcher, pour in the 2 cups fresh lemon juice and the dissolved sugar (simple syrup). Add 13 cups of cold water to reach roughly 1 gallon total liquid. Stir well and taste. If too sweet, add up to 1 cup additional water; if too tart, add more sugar dissolved in a little warm water (or extra simple syrup).

Chill and finish

Refrigerate the lemonade for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. When serving, add 6 cups ice to the pitcher or to individual glasses to chill; if you prefer not to water down the whole pitcher, leave ice out of the pitcher and add to glasses as served.

Garnish each glass or the pitcher rim with lemon slices. Add fresh mint sprigs to the pitcher or individual glasses for aroma. For a fizzy variation, substitute up to 4 cups of the cold water with sparkling water just before serving to preserve carbonation.

Adjust sweetness and strength to taste: keep extra simple syrup on hand to sweeten individual glasses rather than the whole gallon. Serve cold and consume within 24–48 hours for best flavor; citrus can degrade over time.