Strawberry Lemonade Recipe

Prepare strawberries

Wash and hull the strawberries. Pat them dry with a clean towel.

Cook with sugar (optional for smoother sweetness)

Place hulled strawberries and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries release juices and sugar dissolves. This step mellows raw edge and helps extract color; skip if you prefer a raw bright flavor.

Blend puree

Transfer the warm or raw strawberries plus any juices to a blender. Add 2 tablespoons water and blitz until smooth, about 20–30 seconds. If you prefer a seed-free texture, press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl using the back of a spoon; discard seeds and solids.

Set the puree aside to cool if cooked. You should have roughly 1 to 1 1/2 cups of strawberry puree.

Make simple syrup

In a heatproof measuring cup or small saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup hot water. Stir until sugar is fully dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool slightly (5 minutes).

Juice lemons

Juice fresh lemons until you have 1 cup of lemon juice. Strain through a fine mesh if you want pulp-free lemonade.

In a 2-quart pitcher combine the cooled simple syrup and 1 cup lemon juice. Stir to combine.

Add 3 cups cold water to the pitcher and stir. Taste and adjust: for stronger lemonade use less water, for sweeter use a little more syrup (add in small increments).

Add 2 cups ice to the pitcher to chill the lemonade quickly, or refrigerate until cold if you prefer no dilution from ice.

Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups prepared strawberry puree to the lemonade base in the pitcher. Stir gently to combine, creating a uniform pink color. For a swirl effect, pour puree in and do not fully stir.

Taste and adjust sweetness or tartness: if too tart, stir in up to 1–2 tablespoons more sugar or a splash of simple syrup; if too sweet, add a little more lemon juice or water.

Fill serving glasses with ice. Pour strawberry lemonade over ice. Garnish each glass with lemon slice, a strawberry slice, and 2 mint leaves if desired.

Serve immediately. Leftover lemonade will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; stir or shake before serving as separation may occur.