Old fashioned homemade lemonade made with freshly squeezed lemons and simple syrup.
Old Fashioned Hand-Squeezed Lemonade
I admit, there are some pretty good frozen lemonade concentrates out there, but a holiday like Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day, just calls for something special and that means fresh, homemade lemonade to me. This one begins with a simple syrup, which really helps to provide that perfect balance between tart and sweet. Be careful not to over-boil the syrup though ... you don't want to make candy!I hope that you give this a try. Although I love using frozen concentrate in a rush, it really cannot compete with fresh homemade lemonade made from lemons you just juiced yourself. Your guests will be very impressed.
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Recipe: Old Fashioned Hand-Squeezed Fresh Lemonade
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min
Inactive time: 8 hours
Total time: 8 hour 10 min
Yield: About 6 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1/2 cup of boiling water
- 1-1/2 cups of granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 8 lemons)
- Zest of one lemon
- 5 cups of cold water
- Additional sliced lemon for garnish, optional
Make a simple syrup by bringing 1/2 cup of water and the sugar to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring regularly and heating until mixture becomes clear and slightly thickened. Set mixture aside to cool.
Using a microplane, zest one of the lemons; set aside. Squeeze the juice from about 8 lemons or until you have 1-1/2 cups of lemon juice. Add the juice to a 2 quart pitcher along with the zest and cold water. Whisk in the cooled simple syrup and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. Serve in tall glasses over ice and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.
Lemon-Lime: Add in 1/2 cup of fresh lime juice and lime slices.
Pink Lemonade: Add 1/8 to 1/4 cup grenadine, cranberry or pomegranate juice, or to taste.
Orange Lemonade: Prepare as above, except reduce lemon juice to 1 cup and add 1 cup orange juice. Garnish with thick cut orange slices.
Strawberry Lemonade: Prepare as above, except process 1 pound of rinsed and hulled strawberries in a blender or food processor. Strain, using a sieve, into the prepared lemonade.
Blueberry Lemonade: Prepare simple syrup as above. Add in 1 cup of fresh blueberries, reduce to a simmer and cook until berries pop and release. Strain, using a sieve and set aside to cool. Whisk into the lemonade as above.
Blackberry Lemonade: Prepare simple syrup as above. Process 2 cups of blackberries in a blender or food processor and strain, using a sieve, into the prepared lemonade.
Peach Lemonade: Prepare simple syrup as above. Process 1-1/2 pounds of fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced in a blender or food processor. Strain, using a sieve, into the prepared lemonade.
Pineapple Lemonade: Substitute 2 cups of pineapple juice for 2 cups of the water.
Honey Ginger Lemonade: Prepare simple syrup as above, except substitute 1/2 cup of honey for part of the granulated sugar and add 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger. Remove, strain out solids and let cool. Continue as above.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com /i>
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