What is the drink of summer? Lemonade of course! Nothing is more refreshing than freshly squeezed fruit. So if you’re wondering how to survive a heat wave, check out the recipes below. You can prepare multiple variations of classic recipes for all tastes from sweet to spicy. Serve homemade lemonade as a cocktail when you have guests over or prepare it for your family on the weekends. Go for it!
Lemonade vs Lemonade – What’s the Difference?
Lemonade usually refers to a cold summer drink made with syrup. It can be made from fruits, herbs or flowers like elderflower syrup. It is mixed with water or club soda and does not necessarily contain fresh lemon juice.
Homemade lemonade, on the other hand, is made from fresh lemon juice and sweetened with sugar. This recipe is actually very old and dates back to medieval Egyptian times.
However, in many restaurants and bars around the world, the two names are used interchangeably, so it’s best to ask before ordering.
Homemade Classic Lemonade
Ingredients:
- 6 lemons
- 200 grams of white sugar
- 1.4 liters of water
This is actually an old-fashioned lemonade recipe, found in Egyptian records. With only 3 ingredients, it is really easy to prepare. Start by squeezing all the lemons. Then add the juice to the water and mix well with the sugar until it is completely mixed. Taste and add more water if needed.
* You can make the recipe with soda instead if you want.
Tunisian lemonade
Ingredients:
- 1 kg lemon
- 200 grams of sugar
- 250 ml water (for cooking)
- 2.5 liters of cold water (to boil)
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water (optional)
preparation :
Wash the lemon and cut off both ends. Next, peel (yellow part only). Using a knife, remove the bitter-tasting pith. You don’t need it, as it will completely ruin the flavor of your homemade lemonade. Next, cut the lemons into small pieces.
Then bring the zest, sugar and 200ml water to a boil over a high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes on very low heat. Then add lemon slices. After 10 minutes there should be almost no water left.
Pour the mixture into a blender, add half of the cold water and orange blossom water and blend until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Refrigerate the mixture for 6 hours, then strain through cheesecloth.
Add remaining cold water and mix well.
Mint Lemonade Recipe
This homemade lemonade recipe is well known in Israel, Jordan and Lebanon and consists of 4 simple ingredients:
- 5-6 lemons
- 300 ml simple syrup
- 750 ml of water
- A bunch of fresh mint leaves
To prepare it, you first need to extract the juice from the lemon. Next, blend mint leaves with little water or lemon juice until smooth. Add the remaining fresh juice, simple syrup and water and your summer drink is ready to serve.
Ginger Lemonade
Here is a sugar-free recipe with health benefits. It’s incredibly fresh and bursting with tangy, peppery and spicy notes. To prepare it, you will need:
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 2 large lemons
- 0.5 tsp. Almond extract
- 850 ml of filtered water
Sugar-free lemonade made with ginger and honey is ideal for anyone looking to lose a few pounds and detoxify their body. Here’s how:
- Boil 250ml of water with peeled and chopped ginger root, raw honey and thyme stalks. Let boil for 5 minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, squeeze the lemon and add to the pitcher with the almond extract and the remaining 600ml water.
- Then pour the prepared ginger tea, strain the thyme sprig and ginger pieces through a strainer.
- Finally, let the lemon juice sit in the fridge for at least two hours.
Strawberry Lemonade
Mocktail or fruity lemonade? Whatever you call it, this non-alcoholic summer cocktail is a great twist on a classic recipe. You can prepare it with strawberries, peaches, blueberries, raspberries and even a watermelon and watermelon granita.
To do this, first boil the fruit (if using watermelon, this is not necessary). Then dilute with sugar or honey if you prefer a healthier drink. Let cool to room temperature, then add fresh lemon juice and water. Let sit overnight for best flavor. The next day, you can filter it or serve it with fruit.
For a more exotic flavor, experiment with herbs as well. Add mint, thyme, lavender, turmeric. In India, for example, ginger and salt are added to lemonade. They spice it with cumin and sometimes even saffron.
Magic Lemonade
@ivanroycep Magical Drink 🪄 Thank you 80K! 💙 #SummerEats #TiktokEatsPH #butterflypeatea #lemonade #rareaesthetic #colorchanging #gradient #foodietokph #drink ♬ Love Story (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
Here are the most Instagrammable drinks of the moment. This is a butterfly pea (blue pea) flower tea that changes color when lemon is added. It is super easy and quick to make and definitely worth a try.