Lemonade from Scratch
Updated Feb 19, 2025
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A perfectly balanced lemonade that’s super refreshing. Learn to make the classic summer drink using just 4 ingredients.
Homemade Lemonade
Made with fresh lemon juice, this lemonade has the best flavor. A perfect ratio of lemon juice, sugar, and water makes it nicely tart, sweet, and refreshing. It only requires 4 ingredients and 10 minutes for the sugar-water mixture to chill.
Homemade lemonades are the perfect for warm picnics, barbecues, and summer celebrations.
Note from Jee
I first made lemonade from scratch when I got 3 bags of lemons delivered to my door from Fresh Direct. I wanted 3 lemons and I got 3 bags. Oof.
With all those lemons, I had to get creative and figure out what to do with them all. Of course, lemonade was an obvious choice. I had plenty of lemons to figure out the right balance of sweet and tart. This recipe is the result of my testing lemonades and I hope you like it!
Recipe Summary
- This homemade lemonade is made with lemon juice, sugar, water, and ice.
- Sugar is first dissolved in hot water to make a quick simple syrup.
- The recipe makes 16 ounces (2 cups), but you can easily increase it to fill a large pitcher.
RELATED: 17 Best Lemonade Recipes
Ingredient Notes
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds the best sweet-tart flavor. Look for lemons that are heavy for their size and tender to the touch. This means they’re ripe and juicy.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar dissolves easily into the drink.
- Water: Use filtered water for the best tasting lemonade.
- Ice: Make ice with filtered water if possible.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine hot water and sugar.
Step 2: Stir to thoroughly dissolve the sugar in the water to make simple syrup. Place in refrigerator to cool.
Step 3: Add lemon juice to the cooled down simple syrup.
Step 4: Pour lemonade into a cup with ice. Optional: Garnish with thinly sliced lemons.
Recipe Notes
Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
While you certainly can use bottled lemon juice to make lemonade, it won’t be as good as freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice usually contains additives and preservatives that make the flavor feel off.
To make squeezing lemons fast and easy, use a citrus juicer, which catches pulp and seeds. The drink is made with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, which is juice from 1 medium lemon.
Dissolve the sugar in hot water first.
Adding the sugar to hot water helps it dissolve completely. This way, the lemonade will be smooth and not grainy. You don’t have to use boiling hot water. Water that has come to be a simmer is hot enough to dissolve the sugar completely.
Make the lemonade ahead of time.
Prepare the lemonade in advance and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Expert Tips
- You can sweeten the drink with brown sugar or honey, but that will change the flavor of the lemonade.
- Lemon juice has a similar shelf life to any fresh ingredient. It’s good for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Combine lemonade with equal parts tea to make an Arnold Palmer.
- Add lemonade to matcha to make a matcha lemonade.
- Garnish with fresh herbs like basil or mint.
Related
If you tried this Lemonade from Scratch recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and let me know how you like it in the comments below.
Lemonade from Scratch
Ingredients
- ¾ cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup ice
Instructions
- Combine hot water and sugar to make a simple syrup. Stir until the sugar dissolves.Set the temperature to 175°F if you're using an electric kettle with a temperature setting. Use filtered water if possible. There's no need to use boiling water. Simmered water will work well to dissolve the sugar.
- Chill the simple sugar in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Once simple syrup has cooled, add the lemon juice.
- Pour the lemonade into a cup with ice.Optional: Garnish with sliced lemons.
Notes
- Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice. To make squeezing lemons fast and easy, use a citrus juicer, which catches pulp and seeds. The drink is made with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, which is juice from 1 medium lemon.
- When picking lemons, look for ones that are heavy for their size and tender to the touch. This means they’re ripe and juicy.
- Prepare the lemonade in advance and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
