Quick and Simple Homemade Lemonade Recipes
Homemade lemonade is as American as apple pie on the Fourth of July, but so many of us out there opt for soda instead of this great American classic – but of course, soda is also pretty American too! Anyway, here at NetCost Market, we just love a good old glass of ice-cold lemonade on a hot summer’s day, which is why we’ve got some brilliant lemonade recipes that will get you hooked!
The perfect classic lemonade
Well, where else would you start? To make great lemonade you first need to know how to make the classic stuff before you go adding different fruits and spices. This recipe is quick, easy, and very, very tasty, so unless your grandma has a secret family recipe that she’s willing to give to you, we’d suggest you use it as a starting point!
Recipe (6 servings)
Ingredients: 1 cup white granulated sugar, 1 cup water and 2 to 3 cups water, 1 cup lemon juice, a handful of ice.
How to make:
- Start by making a simple syrup – you’ll need to place the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves and then remove from the heat. Allow to cool.
- Juice the lemons until you have 1 cup of lemon juice.
- Mix together the lemon juice and syrup by pouring them into a pitcher.
- Then, add the rest of the water little by little, until it tastes just as sweet as you like.
- Place in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes, and then add ice before serving!
All-natural strawberry-infused lemonade
Okay, so we got the classic stuff out of the way, and if you perfected that you can now move on to the more advanced recipes! For those that love a nice pink drink with a sweet aftertaste, this is the perfect one for you!
Recipe (6 servings)
Ingredients: 4 large strawberries – cut in half, 1 tbsp. white sugar, 3 ½ cups water, ½ cup white sugar, 1 cup lemon juice, some ice cubes.
How to make:
- Start by making the syrup seen in recipe 1. but with half the ingredients.
- Place the strawberries in a blender with the 1 tbsp. white sugar and pour over ½ cup water. Blend until juice is formed.
- In a large pitcher, combine the juice, syrup, and the remaining water. Stir until well mixed.
- Refrigerate for 45 minutes and add ice before serving.
Brazilian lemonade
Remember when we said that lemonade was totally American? Well, we lied – other countries also have their own versions! The Brazilian version is pretty tasty so it’s certainly worth a try, but it also doubles very well as an alcohol-free cocktail!
Recipe (serves 4)
Ingredients: 2 limes, ½ cup sugar, 3 tbsp. sweet condensed milk, 3 cups water, 2 cups crushed ice.
How to make:
- Thoroughly wash the limes, cut the ends off, and then cut them into eighths. Add them to a blender with the sugar, condensed milk, water, and ice.
- Pulse the mixture 7 times, and then strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.
- Serve over more crushed ice.
Peach and basil lemonade slushy
This recipe sounds a bit crazy, but you just need to open your mind and realize that basil is for so much more than just pasta and pizza! This is one of the tastiest drinks you’ll ever find in your hand!
Recipe (12 servings)
Ingredients: 2 cups sugar, 3 cups chopped and peeled peaches, ¾ ounce fresh basil leaves (about 20 large leaves), 4 cups water, 1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice, 5 to 8 cups ice cubes, peach slices and fresh basil leaves for garnish.
How to make:
- In a large saucepan, mix together sugar, 3 cups chopped peaches, basil leaves, and water. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let stand for 30 minutes. Once cool enough, pick out the basil leaves and discard them.
- Stir in the lemon juice and refrigerate until cool.
- Blend the peach mixture with ice – this may need to be done in batches if you don’t have a large blender.
- Pour the mixture into glasses and garnish with slices of peach and basil leaves!
If you’re looking for ways to keep cool this summer, these recipes give you a great starting place! Why not impress your guests by offering them something a bit whacky this summer – peach and basil will surely get them talking! At NetCost Market, we stock some of the best quality fruits you can find, so why not head in store to get a bit experimental with your lemonade recipes this summer!