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    Home » Recipes » Best Homemade Lemonade

    Best Homemade Lemonade

    Doesn't everyone you know have a secret lemonade recipe up their sleeve? Well guess what, we have one too and we will also boldly claim ours is the best. Test it and see.

    My mum's lemonade is so good because it's not too sweet and not too bitter. Perfectly balanced and refreshing for hot summer days.

    The key to this is soaking the lemons you've just juiced in with the liquid for a good few hours to really develop that lemony flavour.

    homemade lemonade

    Lebanese people love lemons so much we eat them whole.

    When I was younger me and my cousins used to climb my teta's lemon tree in her orchard and pick the plumpest juiciest lemons you can imagine.

    Then we'd peel and cut the lemon up into wedges, sprinkle a little salt and devour them. My mouth literally waters just thinking about it.

    Jump to:
    • The Lemons
    • Top Tips
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • 📖 Recipe

    The Lemons

    Your lemonade will only be as good as your lemons! So really invest in some organic unwaxed lemons if you can.

    You can tell if a lemon is good by holding it, a smooth supply surface that's vibrant will always be a good sign.

    If you don't care what other shoppers think, smell the lemon too and if you can get a scent of the fruit inside then it means it's bursting with flavour.

    lemons

    The other ingredients are just sugar and water, and a teeny tiny pinch of salt.

    Top Tips

    Now some people insist you roll the lemons and others you zest them beforehand. I don't think it super necessary if the lemons are fresh and juice easily.

    Roll them if they are a bit rigid to loosen the juices. I love lemon zest in my recipes but this time I prefer to use the leftover lemon halves instead.

    best homemade lemonade

    You will need to make a simple syrup with sugar and water. This is literally so easy and is done in a few minutes making sure the sugar is dissolved with the water so it's not grainy.

    Always always always taste your lemonade before serving it and adjust the amount of water or sugar.

    Variations

    Even though lemons are my best friends, I like to make variations from time to time as follows:

    • Limes - replace 1-2 lemons with limes if you want to change it up.
    • Sparkling water - If you like things fizzy, substitute some or all of the water with sparkling.
    • Herbs - Basil and mint will complement the lemons nicely. Add a small handful.
    lemon halves

    Equipment

    You will need a nice big jug or pilcher (what's the difference?!) to simmer all those lemons in.

    I don't think using an electric juicer is necessary, a good old hand lemon juicer will work if you put some muscles in.

    Storage

    If you have some lemonade left over, sieve the juice out and store in the fridge for up to three days.

    If you leave in the lemon halves overnight you might find it's a little too bitter.

    📖 Recipe

    5 from 1 vote
    Print

    Best Homemade Lemonade

    Secret recipe for the absolute best homemade lemonade

    Course Drinks
    Cuisine Lebanese
    Keyword Crowd pleaser, Easy, Homemade
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Servings 4 people
    Author Zaatar and Zaytoun

    Ingredients

    • 5 medium lemons
    • 4 cups of water
    • 1 cup of simple syrup (1 cup water + 1 cup sugar)
    • tiny pinch of salt

    Instructions

    1. To make the simple syrup, dissolve 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat for up to five minutes until all of the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool
    2. Wash your lemons well and cut into halves. Squeeze the lemon juice and add to a large jug
    3. Then add the lemon halves along with the cold water, pinch of salt and simple syrup to the jug and stir well

    4. Taste a little of the lemonade and adjust with extra water, lemon juice or sugar as necessary

    5. Chill for around 3-5 hours before serving.

    Recipe Notes

    Garnish with extra lemon slices if desired

    If you make any of our recipes let us know how it went by giving us a star rating below.

    We have a lively Facebook group where we post frequent recipes and discuss Lebanese cooking in general, as well as a handy Pinterest page where you can save all of your favourite Zaatar and Zaytoun recipes.

    You might also like these other recipes from the Zaatar and Zaytoun collection:

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nabil

      August 01, 2022 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      Just like my teta used to make back home, thank you for the recipe xx

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    Teta

    Ahlen I'm Yosra, a Lebanon born - London based foodie. Welcome to my kitchen.

    Here you'll find recipes collected from my Lebanese Mama (pictured), some regional classics and some secret family recipes.

    More about me →

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