Home Made Lemonade Recipe

Make lavender-ginger syrup

In a small saucepan combine 1/2 cup water, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon lavender buds and the sliced tablespoon of fresh ginger. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 4 minutes to infuse. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes, then strain into a bowl, pressing solids to extract flavor. Discard solids.

Lightly bruise the 10 mint leaves with the back of a spoon to release oils. Add the strained syrup, 1 1/2 cups lemon juice and the bruised mint leaves to a large pitcher. Stir to combine.

Add 4 cups cold water and taste. Adjust sweetness by adding up to 1 additional tablespoon sugar if desired. Add ice just before serving to avoid dilution.

Serve over ice in glasses, garnish with extra mint sprig and a thin slice of ginger or lemon twist if desired.

Make passion fruit concentrate

Combine 1/4 cup water and 4 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan and warm gently until sugar dissolves to make a light syrup. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Scoop passion fruit pulp (about 3–4 fruits) into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press with a spoon to extract juice and seeds; you can reserve seeds for garnish or press fully for a smooth texture. Combine the extracted pulp (about 3/4 cup) with the cooled syrup.

In a pitcher combine 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice, the passion fruit-syrup mixture and 4 cups cold water. Stir thoroughly and taste. If too tart, add 1 tablespoon additional sugar dissolved into a splash of warm water.

Fill glasses with ice, pour lemonade, and optionally top with a spoonful of reserved passion fruit seeds/pulp for texture and visual appeal.

Prepare strawberry purée

Place 1 cup hulled and quartered strawberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 cup water into a blender. Pulse until smooth. Taste and add up to 1 tablespoon more sugar if needed. If you prefer a very smooth lemonade, strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing to extract liquid; otherwise keep it slightly pulpy.

In a large pitcher combine 1 1/2 cups lemon juice, the strawberry purée and 4 cups cold water. Stir to combine and taste. Adjust sweetness or dilution as desired.

Chill briefly or serve immediately over ice. Garnish with sliced strawberries or a lemon wheel.

Combine components

In a pitcher stir together 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice, 1 cup pomegranate juice and 1/4 cup water in which 3 tablespoons sugar have been dissolved (make a quick syrup by warming and stirring if needed).

Add 3 1/2 cups cold water, stir and taste. Add additional simple syrup or water to adjust sweetness and intensity (pomegranate can be quite tart).

Serve over ice and garnish with pomegranate arils and a lemon slice.