Lemonade Recipe

Combine sugar and water

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water.

Heat until dissolved

Place saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is just simmering (do not boil vigorously).

Infuse with zest (optional)

If using lemon zest, add the zest to the saucepan once the sugar dissolves and let it steep in the warm syrup for 5 minutes off the heat to infuse aroma.

Cool and strain

Remove from heat. If you added zest, strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof container to remove zest. Let the simple syrup cool to room temperature (about 15–20 minutes), then refrigerate until chilled if not using immediately.

Juice the lemons

Roll lemons firmly on the counter to loosen juices. Slice and juice until you have 1 cup (about 4–6 medium lemons) of fresh lemon juice. Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and excess pulp if desired.

Combine ingredients

In a pitcher, combine the 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 cup chilled simple syrup, and 3 cups cold water. Stir well and taste.

Adjust sweetness and acidity

If too sweet, add up to 1/2 cup more cold water in 1/4-cup increments. If too tart, add up to 1/4 cup more simple syrup. Add a pinch of salt if desired to balance flavors.

Chill

Refrigerate the assembled lemonade for at least 30 minutes to meld flavors, or serve immediately over ice for a colder drink.

Serve

Fill glasses with ice cubes, pour lemonade over ice, garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a mint sprig if using. Stir before drinking.