Lemonade Recipe

Juice the lemons

Roll 6–8 medium lemons on the counter to soften. Cut lemons in half and juice until you have 1 cup (approximately 6–8 lemons depending on size). Strain the juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup to remove seeds and excess pulp.

Dissolve the sugar

In a small saucepan or heatproof bowl, combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1/2 cup of the cold water. Warm gently over low heat, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves (do not boil). Alternatively, stir the sugar into 1/2 cup warm water until fully dissolved to make a quick simple syrup.

Mix the lemonade

In a pitcher, combine the strained lemon juice and the dissolved sugar mixture. Add the remaining 3 1/2 cups cold water and stir well. Taste and adjust: add up to 2 additional tablespoons sugar (or 2 tablespoons simple syrup) if you prefer sweeter lemonade, or add a touch more water if too strong.

Chill and serve

Add 2 cups of ice to the pitcher or pour the lemonade over ice-filled glasses. Stir briefly to chill the drink evenly.

Mint: Lightly clap 6–8 fresh mint leaves between your palms to release oils, then add to the pitcher or to individual glasses for an aromatic note.

Garnish with lemon slices: Float lemon slices in the pitcher or place one slice on the rim of each glass.

Fizzy variation: To make sparkling lemonade, pour 3 cups prepared still lemonade and 1 cup chilled club soda into the pitcher just before serving; gently stir once to combine to retain carbonation.

Adjust sweetness: If you used simple syrup instead of dissolving granulated sugar, start with 2 tablespoons simple syrup and increase to taste. Remember simple syrup blends faster and can make the lemonade smoother.