It may not be summer but with the first signs of spring, having a refreshing glass of homemade lemonade in the sun is a delight.
With lemons in abundance nothing beats freshly squeezed lemon juice just seconds old.
There isn’t much to making homemade lemonade. If you have a lemon tree in your backyard you’ll probably be looking for lemon recipes, so this is a natural choice!
Literally this lemonade recipe, made the old fashioned way, just contains lemon juice, sugar and water. You will have to make up a ‘simple sugar syrup’ first however so the sugar dissolves nicely.
If you wish, you can always infuse the lemonade with some other backyard favourites, such as lavender or rosemary (although not both together otherwise the flavours will get confusing)! Literally infuse the herbs in the simple sugar syrup while simmering, but this could take as little as a few minutes otherwise they can be too overpowering. Strain, then go about completing your homemade refresher.
Once you’ve made your lemon concentrated cordial, dilute to taste. I love my Soda Stream, making ice cold bubbles on demand. But there’s also bottled sparkling water…or soda water too. It could also be delicious served with hot water on a chilly evening or if you feel a cold coming on! Cocktails, did I say cocktails? Well, use your imagination.
Old Fashioned Lemonade
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups of lemon juice (juice of approx 20 lemons)
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- sparkling water, to serve
- sprig of mint, to garnish
- slice of lemon, to garnish
Method
- Add water and sugar into a saucepan and bring to boil, stirring well until all sugar is dissolved.
- Boil for approx 10 minutes, then add lemon juice and zest, then remove from heat. Allow to cool down completely then pour into a sterilised airtight jar.
Dilute to taste I used one part lemon syrup to 4 parts sparkling water. Serve with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint.
Lemon syrup keeps in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Enjoy!
