Cece's Homemade Lemonade Recipe

Juice the lemons

Roll 4–6 medium lemons on the counter to soften, cut in half, and juice until you have 1 cup (about 240 ml) of fresh lemon juice. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup to remove seeds and most pulp.

Make sugar syrup

Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1 cup hot water in a heatproof pitcher or bowl. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. This creates an instant, slightly diluted syrup to ensure no graininess in the finished lemonade.

Combine and dilute

Add the strained lemon juice to the dissolved sugar in the pitcher. Stir, then add 3 cups cold water. Taste and adjust: if too tart, add up to 2 tablespoons simple syrup or an extra tablespoon of sugar dissolved in a little hot water; if too weak, add up to 1/2 cup more lemon juice.

Chill and serve

Fill a large pitcher or individual glasses with ice cubes. Pour the prepared lemonade over the ice to chill quickly. Garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves; bruise the mint lightly between your fingers before adding to release aroma. If using lemon zest, sprinkle the teaspoon of zest into the pitcher or onto individual servings for extra brightness.

Adjust sweetness (optional)

If after chilling the lemonade tastes less sweet, stir in up to 2 tablespoons simple syrup (or another dissolved tablespoon of sugar) until you reach the desired balance. Serve immediately.