Strawberry Lemonade Recipe

Make syrup

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring constantly until sugar fully dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer (do not boil vigorously). Remove from heat.

Let the syrup cool to room temperature (about 10–15 minutes). Transfer to a heatproof container; set aside one cup of syrup total. You'll use 1/2 cup in the puree and the remainder to sweeten the lemonade.

Prepare berries

Hull and roughly halve the strawberries if large. Place the 2 cups of strawberries in a blender or food processor.

Add 1/2 cup of the cooled simple syrup to the berries. Blend until smooth (10–20 seconds) for a puree, or pulse less for a chunkier texture.

Optional: If you prefer seed-free lemonade, press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl using the back of a spoon. Discard seeds/solids or reserve for another use. Chill the puree briefly while you finish the rest.

Juice lemons

Juice fresh lemons until you have 1 cup (about 6–8 medium lemons). Strain seeds and pulp if desired.

In a pitcher, combine the 1 cup fresh lemon juice and the remaining 1/2 cup of simple syrup. Stir to combine.

Add 3 cups cold water to the pitcher and stir. Taste the mixture and adjust sweetness by adding up to 2 tablespoons more syrup (or a little more water) to reach your preferred balance.

Add the strawberry puree to the lemonade base in the pitcher. Stir thoroughly until evenly combined. If you strained the puree, pour the strained puree in; if not, pour the blended mixture.

Fill serving glasses with ice (about 1/2 cup per glass) or add ice directly to the pitcher (2 cups). Pour the strawberry lemonade over ice.

Garnish each glass with lemon slices and a mint sprig. Serve immediately. If making ahead, refrigerate the lemonade (without ice) up to 4 hours; stir well before serving and add ice just before serving.