Since I added it to my Summer Bucket List I’ve been itching to make some homemade lemonade. It’s such a delicious drink to enjoy outside at the end of a long day and it actually used be a staple sitting in my fridge. But here’s the thing – my old recipe? Began with 2 Cups of Sugar.
Don’t get me wrong, it was amazing! But I’m not really in the habit anymore of consuming 2 cups of white sugar at the end of a long day. That’s not to say I never indulge (obviously) but now when I do I feel like it’s got to be worth it. And to me, a simple beverage seems like more of a necessity and less like an indulgence, you know? So I wanted to find a way to still enjoy the ritual of a cup of lemonade on occasion, without having it be such a crazy nutritional gut bomb.
Amber left me a comment on my bucket list that initially inspired this recipe. (Yoga friends especially, check out her awesome website — she’s pretty amazing!) I then tinkered with it to make a larger batch, and of course made some variations (including one of the Adult Beverage variety.) The recipe does call for honey (local and raw if you’ve got it – might as well do yourself a favor), but it’s nowhere close to 2 cups of sugar anymore. It skews a bit on the tart side, which is my personal preference, so if you like it a bit sweeter feel free to adjust to taste!
- 16 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (about 8 lemons)
- ½ Cup Honey (this is what I recommend, start here and adjust to your preference)
- 4 TBS Hot Water
- 32 oz Cold Water
- Juice your lemons. I used Meyer Lemons which tend to be a little sweeter.
- In a small bowl mix your honey + hot water until the honey dissolves and you are left with a honey simple syrup. It’s ok to add more hot water if your honey is particularly thick.
- Mix lemon juice, simple syrup and cold water
- Serve plain or with one of the following variations
For Strawberry Lemonade
Blend 8-10 fresh or frozen strawberries with 2 TBS Water and 1 TBS honey to make a chunky puree. Add to the bottom of the glass, pour in honey lemonade.
For an adult beverage: Add a splash of Mandarin Orange Vodka for a twist!
For Iced Tea Lemonade
For a pitcher, brew a 16 oz of double strength iced tea (get as creative as you want with the flavor of your iced tea, or just use plain.) I used 4 black tea bags and steeped them in hot water for 4 minutes. Let the tea cool and mix with lemonade
For an adult beverage: Add a splash of vodka to spice up the night!
Then kick back, put your feet up and enjoy a little (lower sugar!) relaxation in a glass!
June 28, 2012 at 8:01 am
Yum. I have also found that stevia works well to sweeten lemonade. I know some people think stevia is bitter — and it can be — but somehow that is lost a bit in the acidity of the lemons. I have been serving my kids lemonade made of juiced lemons, ice water, and stevia all summer long, and they slurp it right up (so do their soda-loving friends!). But next time, I may have to add some lavender-infused honey to mine, cuz that sounds way too delicious.
June 28, 2012 at 9:04 am
Oooh! Thanks for sharing. I’ve been craving lemonade so bad, but the sugar content was killing me. I’m totally going to make my own now.
June 28, 2012 at 11:42 am
I like it! The strawberry one sounds YUMMY!
July 1, 2012 at 8:51 pm
A neighbor left grocery-sized bags of free lemons on their front lawn the other day. Maybe I’ll do lemon chicken thighs + fresh squeezed lemonade one night this week