Enjoy a refreshing glass of this healthy homemade lemonade recipe that\u2019s ready fast. Fresh lemon juice plus a simple syrup of honey and water will give you a lemon drink that\u2019s perfectly sweet and tart.<\/p>\n
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\n<\/picture>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nI love a cool, refreshing drink like lemonade on a hot summer day.<\/p>\n
Growing up, though, there was only one kind of lemonade: Country Time.<\/p>\n
You\u2019d scoop out some powder, add some water, and magically, you had a super sweet yet tart yellow drink called lemonade.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the thing \u2013 THERE\u2019S NO ACTUAL LEMON in that stuff!!<\/p>\n
This is the list of ingredients:<\/p>\n
Sugar, fructose, citric acid, contains less than 2% of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), natural flavor, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium citrate, magnesium oxide, calcium fumarate, artificial color, yellow 5 lake, tocopherol (preserves freshness).<\/em><\/p>\n (Their pink lemonade is no better!)<\/p>\n Wow. That\u2019s a lot of ingredients considering you can make the best homemade lemonade recipe with just lemons, water, and a bit of sweetener!<\/p>\n I have to warn you, though \u2013 once you learn how to make lemonade yourself, you won\u2019t go back to the store-bought version!<\/p>\n I\u2019ll admit that I\u2019ve had a lot of glasses of homemade lemonade while preparing for this post. I\u2019ve single-handedly taken out two giant pitchers in three days. I can\u2019t help it though \u2013 it\u2019s just SO good!<\/p>\n There are two key components to this healthy homemade lemonade:<\/p>\n You want the real deal here \u2013 lemon juice that is freshly squeezed from actual whole lemons.<\/p>\n And no, it\u2019s not a lot of work and no you don\u2019t need a big juicing machine.<\/p>\n I use a juicer like this one<\/a> (except mine is white) and it took me MAYBE 5 minutes to juice 6 lemons.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve juiced the lemons, pour the juice over a fine-mesh sieve<\/a> lined over a big glass measuring cup<\/a>. Use a spatula<\/a> to push around the seeds and pulp so that the juice goes through the sieve.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s it!<\/p>\n Six lemons gave me a little extra juice, so I poured it into a jar and put it in the fridge. It\u2019s less juice I have to squeeze for the next batch! (If it\u2019s going to be a while before you make homemade lemonade again, you can freeze the lemon juice in an ice cube tray. I use this silicone mold<\/a> for things like this.)<\/p>\n Bottled lemon juice in any shape or form is not the same, so please don\u2019t attempt this recipe using it. <\/strong>It won\u2019t come out the same and won\u2019t taste nearly as good.<\/p>\n And as a bonus, you can zest your lemons before you juice them, and use the lemon zest to make Homemade Lemon Cake Mix<\/a>. Using kitchen scraps<\/a> to make cake mix? Yum!<\/em><\/p>\n I used honey<\/a> to sweeten my healthy homemade lemonade. You can use granulated sugar or maple syrup<\/a> if you prefer. Start with \u2153 cup and add more to taste. Remember that you can always make it sweeter, but you can\u2019t undo the sweetness once it\u2019s added.<\/p>\n I have a few different varieties of honey at home and was able to taste the flavor of the honey in every batch I made. Keep this in mind if you have local honey with a strong sweet flavor. Make sure you like the way your honey tastes plain before using it in this lemonade recipe!<\/p>\n The only thing you need to make healthy homemade lemonade besides freshly squeezed lemon juice and sweetener is water!<\/strong><\/p>\n Step 1: In a small saucepan<\/a>, <\/strong>combine 1 cup of water and \u2153 cup of honey<\/a> and turn the heat to medium. Stir occasionally.<\/p>\n This is called making a simple syrup, and it prevents a big clump of honey (or sugar) from sitting at the bottom of the pitcher while you stir forever to get it to dissolve.<\/p>\n Step 2: Once the honey is dissolved<\/strong> (this may take up to 5 minutes), pour this mixture into the bottom of a half-gallon pitcher or glass jar<\/a>.<\/p>\n Step 3: Add the lemon juice <\/strong>and remaining 4 cups of cold water and stir well.<\/p>\n Step 4: Taste and adjust sweetener, <\/strong>if desired. Let chill in the refrigerator before serving.<\/p>\n Homemade lemonade is most refreshing when served cold and\/or over ice. Personally, I also love to drink it out of a mason jar! I use these lids on my jars<\/a> when I\u2019m taking my lemonade to go, or when I\u2019m going out to sip on the back porch!<\/p>\n Fresh lemonade is best, but you can keep it in a sealed pitcher or large jar in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.<\/p>\n If home made lemonade isn\u2019t adventurous enough for you, try some of these variations!<\/p>\n While I wouldn\u2019t recommend drinking a beverage loaded with sugar every day, this homemade lemonade recipe is fine. And a naturally sweetened drink that gets you to stay more hydrated is okay by me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Baking soda reacts with lemon juice, creating bubbles and making fizzy lemonade. This homemade lemonade recipe does not include carbonation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n It depends on how much you drink at one time, but one gallon of lemonade equals sixteen 8-oz cups. This recipe makes just under half a gallon, about 7 cups.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Fresh mint adds a nice flavor, or you could add strawberries or raspberries for a berry lemonade. Or mix half lemonade and half iced tea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s no secret that calories in beverages can add up quickly and are honestly often a waste of your calories. But if you get tired of drinking only water, this homemade lemonade recipe can be a great choice to keep you hydrated!<\/p>\n Not only do you control the quality of the ingredients, but you also control the amount (and type) of sweetener, and you can customize it to fit into your day.<\/p>\n You can also use homemade lemonade as a baby step in your journey to quitting sugar<\/a>. Start with a larger amount of sweetener and lower it in each subsequent batch. You\u2019ll still enjoy a yummy beverage while adjusting your palate.<\/p>\nWHY I LOVE THIS HOMEMADE LEMONADE RECIPE<\/h2>\n
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HEALTHY HOMEMADE LEMONADE INGREDIENTS<\/h2>\n
LEMON JUICE<\/h2>\n
SWEETENER<\/h2>\n
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HOW TO MAKE LEMONADE<\/h2>\n
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EASY LEMONADE RECIPE VARIATIONS<\/h2>\n
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RECIPE OF LEMONADE DRINK FAQS<\/h2>\n
Is it okay to drink home made lemonade every day?<\/h3>\n
Do you put baking soda in the recipe of lemonade drink?<\/h3>\n
How many drinks are in a gallon of homemade lemonade?<\/h3>\n
What can I add to homemade lemonade?<\/h3>\n
USING HOMEMADE LEMONADE RECIPE AS A BABY STEP<\/h2>\n
MORE TASTY DRINK RECIPES<\/h2>\n
WATCH HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY HOMEMADE LEMONADE<\/h2>\n