There is nothing like a nice ice cold glass of lemonade. Some people think it's such a chore to make because they either put too much or not enough sugar, too much water, or they don't squeeze enough lemons. I have a fool proof way I make lemonade and it turns out great every time!
Here is what I use to make a full pitcher:
- 2 cups of fresh squeezed lemon juice (this amounted to about 8 regular size lemons, have an extra to slice)
- A large pitcher filled 1/3 of the way with ice
- 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 cups of sugar, depending on how sweet or sour you like your lemonade, (use 2 cups if you want to keep the sweetness to a minimum)
- 7 cups of water
- A glass to taste
Step 1: Starting with 2 cups, I add the sugar to the pitcher with ice. This will dissolve the sugar quicker once the other liquids are added. I wait to add the remaining sugar because once you put it in, you can't take it out.
Step 2: Add the lemon juice and give it a few stirs.
Step 3: Fill the pitcher with the 7 cups water. Keep in mind that you have ice already in the pitcher that will also melt into the lemonade. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Taste and add more sugar or water depending on taste. At this point I usually add about 1/2 cup more sugar because I like my lemonade sweeter, but it's all about what you like.
Step 4: Fill up your cup, add a lemon slice & straw. Enjoy your wonderful creation sitting on the deck!
**If you want to make only half of what I made here, a good general rule to making lemonade is proportion. To guarantee a great batch of lemonade use 1 cup of lemon juice to 1 cup of water, and 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water. This makes a fairly sweet lemonade, but the best way to find out what you like, you have to play with the proportions.
Enjoy!
