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Ingredients
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Simple Lemonade
Farm Syrup (makes ~1 cup)
Method
Farm Syrup (makes ~1 cup)
Combine and heat
In a small saucepan combine 0.75 cups granulated sugar and 0.75 cups water. Add the lemon zest and the herb sprig if using.
Dissolve and infuse
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Once dissolved, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes to allow the zest and herb to infuse.
Cool and strain
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (about 15–20 minutes). Strain out the zest and herb, pressing lightly on the zest to extract flavor. Transfer syrup to a clean jar and chill if not using immediately. Yields about 1 cup.
Simple Lemonade
Juice lemons
Roll lemons on the counter to loosen juices and cut in half. Juice enough lemons to measure 0.75 cups (about 3–4 medium lemons). Strain seeds and large pulp with a fine-mesh strainer if desired.
Combine ingredients
In a 16 oz serving glass or shaker combine 0.75 cups fresh lemon juice, 0.5 cups chilled farm-style simple syrup, and 0.75 cups cold water. Stir or shake vigorously for about 10–15 seconds until blended.
Adjust sweetness
Taste the lemonade and adjust to preference: add up to 1–2 tbsp extra syrup to sweeten or add additional water (1–2 tbsp) to dilute if too sweet or tart.
Serve
Fill the serving glass with about 1 cup ice. Pour the lemonade over the ice. Garnish with 2 lemon slices and an optional mint or herb sprig. Serve with a straw.
Storage
Extra farm syrup keeps refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Prepared lemonade is best consumed immediately but can be chilled for up to 24 hours in the fridge; stir before serving.