Homemade Lemonade Recipes – How to Make a Tasty Summer Drink

If there’s anything more summery than homemade lemonade recipes, I have no idea what it is.  You sit in the sunshine, enjoying a glass of chilled lemonade and maybe a sweet treat.  Or you make a big batch for the kids to enjoy as they run around the garden, playing.  Maybe you even go beyond fresh lemonade recipes with lemons to try flavoured styles.

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Whether you like still or sparkling, plain or flavoured, homemade lemonade is something we can all enjoy, summer or winter.  But how do you start making your own?

When was lemonade invented

Fun fact – while no-one knows exactly who invented lemonade, it has been around for over 1000 years!  The ancient Egyptians made a drink that used citron leaf (similar to a lemon tree) with black pepper and mint and fermented barley that was called kashkab. 

A more familiar version of lemonade was already popular when it was launched in Paris in 1630.  Made with sparkling water, lemon juice and honey, guys would go around selling it from tanks strapped to their backs!  The passion for lemonade was also said to have helped the city fend off the plague – lemon does contain citric acid after all.

Here in the UK, we contributed as well.  In the late 1780s, a German-Swiss jewellery called Johann Schweppe came up with a way to create carbonate water.  Around 50 years later, the fizzy lemonade bearing his name was released.

How do you make lemonade from scratch?

There are some great lemonade recipes out there, all from a basic start point of three ingredients.  The exact dimensions of these depend on how sweet or how tart you like your lemonade to be.

One easy homemade lemonade recipe uses a simple 8-2-8 ratio.  That means eight lemons, 8 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar.  Easy to scale up or down, depending on how much lemonade you need at any time.  You can increase the sugar to make it sweeter or reduce the lemons if you find it too bitter.

Another recipe uses three lemons, 140g caster sugar (also known as baker’s sugar) and one litre of cold water (just over 4 cups cold water if you prefer).  Add the lemons, half the water and sugar to a food processor and blend until finely chopped.  Sieve the mixture into a bowl, pressing down to get the most juice then top the rest of the water, mix and serve.

Fresh lemonade tips

Lemons: where possible, always use fresh lemon juice straight from the lemons.  Yes, it is a bit messier and there’s some waste, but the taste is 100% better than using from a concentrate.

Sugar: you can dissolve the sugar in water to make what’s known as simple syrup (handy for cocktails too) and this helps it dissolve in the lemonade mixture.  Add the sugar and water to the pan, heat until it dissolves then leave to cool before you use in the lemonade.  And you can store the excess in the fridge for about 5-7 days.

Water: if you want fizzy lemonade, swap the water for something like carbonated water, club soda or even fizzy tonic waters.  Just go for ones that are unsweetened or they will change the balance of your ingredients.

Sweetener: I have a real problem with sweeteners, can’t stand the taste.  But if you do want to go for a lower sugar option, you can substitute some or all of the sugar for your favourite sweetener.  You may need to add a little more, just play around with it.

How long does homemade lemonade last?

There’s no reason to think homemade lemonade will be around for very long but if you do need to keep it, you can store it in the fridge, and it will last for at least 5-7 days.  You may need to add a little more water towards the end of that period and give it a good stir or shake.

You can also freeze homemade lemonade.  The easiest way is to pop it into ice cube trays and then later blend into a slushy.  You can freeze it in small paper cups and just remove to defrost and drink.  You may need to add a little more water after defrosting. 

5 homemade lemonade recipes

Once you have got a basic homemade lemonade recipe you love, then you are ready to start experimenting with different versions and getting a few more flavours involved.

Sparkling blueberry maple lemonade

This fresh lemonade recipe with maple syrup to sweeten and blueberries for extra flavour is a simple and delicious alternative to normal lemonade.  This recipe will make four good portions, takes 5 minutes cook time and around 20 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

• 1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
• 3 T. fresh mint, crushed
• 1-2 T. real maple syrup
• 3 T. honey, preferably local
• 3 c. water, divided
• ½ c. fresh lemon juice
• 1 c. club soda
• Ice cubes, to serve

Optional Garnish:

• Mint sprigs
• Fresh blueberries
• Lemon wedges

Step 1: To prepare the blueberry maple simple syrup, combine the blueberries, mint, maple syrup, honey, and one quarter cup water in a small saucepan set over medium heat.

Step 2: Simmer until the mixture is heated through and starts to thicken, approximately 4-5 minutes. As the mixture simmers, gently press the blueberries with a wooden spoon to release juices while stirring to combine with the other ingredients.

Step 3: Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer to separate the solids. Reserve remaining liquid syrup and set aside to cool.

Step 4: Add lemon juice and remaining water to a large pitcher. Add blueberry maple simple syrup, to taste, and stir to combine.

Step 5: Fill 4 glasses with ice and fill each 2/3 full with the blueberry lemonade mixture. Top off each glass with some club soda and garnish with sprigs of fresh mint, blueberries, and/or lemon wedges, if desired.

Fresh ginger and lemongrass lemonade

This is a spicy alternative to normal lemonade but is still easy to make.

Ingredients

• ½ cup fresh lemon juice [approximately 4 whole lemons]
• 3 cups cold water
• ice
• fresh mint, for garnish

Simple Syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 3” stalks lemongrass, cut into small chunks
• 3” fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small pieces

Step 1: To make the ginger simple syrup, add 1 cup water and 1 cup white sugar to a medium saucepan. Peel a 3” piece of fresh ginger and chop into small pieces and add to the pan with the chopped lemongrass. The smaller you cut each piece, the more surface area you will expose to the boiling sugar mixture, which will add more flavour to the syrup.

Step 2: Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Step 3: In a 32 oz. glass pitcher, add lemon juice and water and stir to combine. Add simple syrup as desired.

Step 4: Serve poured over ice with fresh mint for garnish. Offer additional infused simple syrup for those who want a little extra sweetness.

Jalapeno cucumber lemonade

Cucumber is a popular ingredient for infused water, but this recipe uses it in homemade lemonade and also adds a little heat with the jalapeno.  It is best to start with a small amount of chili until you get the right heat for your taste buds.

You can also make this into a cocktail by adding vodka or tequila!

Ingredients

• 3 c. water
• ¾ c. fresh lemon juice (6-8 medium lemons)
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 t. jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely minced
• 1/3 c. honey, preferably local

Optional Garnishes:

• Rosemary sprigs with lower leaves removed
• Cucumber chunks or slices
• Jalapeno chunks or slices
• Lemon wedges

Step 1: Add water, lemon juice, cucumber, jalapeno, and honey to a blender and blend until completely liquefied. Taste and add more jalapeno and/or honey, if desired. Blend again if necessary.

Step 2: Pour liquid through a fine mesh strainer to remove any larger particles and transfer mixture to a large pitcher. Place in refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Step 3: To serve, pour over ice and garnish with slices of lemon, cucumber, and/or jalapeno. For a fancier presentation, thread chunks of cucumber and jalapeno onto sprigs of rosemary to garnish each glass.

Passion tea lemonade

Homemade lemonade iced tea recipes have been made famous by Starbucks but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a copycat style recipe at home.  Plus, if you want a lower refined sugar option, this recipe uses infused simple syrup with honey to sweeten.

Ingredients:

• 5¼ c. water, divided
• 4 Tazo® Passion® tea bags
• ¼ c. honey, preferably local
• 4” piece lemongrass, finely chopped
• 2 small cinnamon sticks
• ½ c. fresh lemon juice
• Ice, to serve

Garnish: (optional)

• Fresh lemon slices
• Sprigs of fresh mint

Step 1: Bring four cups water to a rapid bowl in a teapot or saucepan. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Allow tea bags to steep for several minutes before discarding.

Step 2: To prepare the infused simple syrup, combine a quarter cup water, honey, lemongrass, and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is heated through and starts to thicken, approximately 4-5 minutes.

Step 3: Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer to separate the solids from the liquid. Discard solids and set the remaining simple syrup aside to cool.

Step 4: Combine the brewed tea, lemon juice, and remaining cup of water in a large pitcher. Add infused simple syrup, to taste, and stir to combine.

Step 5: To serve, fill four chilled glasses with ice before adding the sweetened iced tea mixture. Garnish with lemon slices and sprigs of fresh mint, if using, and serve immediately.

Watermelon mint lemonade

Lastly, watermelon is a definite summer fruit and that makes it great to add to a lemonade recipe.  This one also uses mint to enhance the flavour.  You might need to adjust the amount of water depending on how watery the watermelon is and how strong you want it to be.

You don’t have to make mint simple syrup and just add some sugar to sweeten the mix.  But it is very tasty!  And for a cocktail version, add citrus flavoured vodka before you serve.

Ingredients:

Mint Simple Syrup (optional)

• ½ c. granulated sugar
• ½ c. water
• ¼ c. tightly packed fresh mint leaves, stems removed and crushed

Lemonade:

• 6 c. fresh watermelon, rinds removed and cut into chunks
• ¾ c. fresh lemon juice (6-8 medium lemons)
• ½ c. cold water, (plus more, if needed)
• ½ c. fresh mint leaves, tightly packed with stems removed
• fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
• lemon slices, for garnish

Step 1: To make the simple syrup, add the sugar, water and crushed mint leaves to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and discard mint leaves. Cool completely before using.

Step 2: Add watermelon chunks, lemon juice and ½ cup cold water to a blender and blend until liquefied. Pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove any larger particles. Taste and add more water, if needed. Sweeten with mint-infused simple syrup, if desired.

Step 3: Bruise ½ c. fresh mint leaves with fingers to release oils and add to the bottom of a large glass pitcher or jar. If serving immediately, add ice cubes to the container and pour the watermelon mixture over top. Add fresh lemon slices to the container for garnish.

Step 4: To serve, pour over ice and add a sprig of fresh mint and a lemon slice for garnish. 

Favourite summer drinks

Lemonade always tops the list of favourite summer drinks and there’s no reason you can’t make your own.  Plus, you can add different ingredients to create a whole range of flavours and lemonade variations so there’s always something new to enjoy.