Fresh Lemonade

Tart and sweet, lemonade makes the ultimate summertime drink!

We’ve all heard it “when life gives you lemons” well, you make lemonade.

I frequently have a lot of lemons leftover from zesting or from setting up backdrops for photos. And frequently I buy a few more than I need!

But even if their peel has been stripped or they are starting to look a little tired, they are still full of citrus goodness. Perfect for squeezing!

Making lemonade is ridiculously easy. Before the days that lemonade was frozen in a round tube or packaged in a plastic bottle, everyone made it from scratch. It’s really nothing more than a simple syrup, brightened with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Then a quick blending with water until it’s just the right sweet, just the right tang and chilled to perfection!

Grab your juicer, a handful of lemons and some sugar! Refreshment is on the way!

Fresh Lemonade

3-½ cups water, divided

1-½ cups sugar

1-½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 10 lemons

Extra lemon slices and ice for serving.

Pour ½ cup of the water into a small saucepan. Add the sugar and warm over medium heat. Stir frequently until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Let the lemon simple syrup cool for about 10 minutes then pour it into a pitcher. Add the lemon juice.

Pour in the remaining 3 cups of water and stir to mix well. You can add more lemon juice or water if desired to suit your taste.

Serve over ice and garnish with a slice or two of fresh lemon.

Makes about 6 servings.