how to: Make Lemonade
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- Published on Monday, 28 May 2012 12:29
- Written by sirmajid
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how to Make Lemonade
how to: Make Lemonade
how to make lemonade
Making lemonade is a snap, right? Lemons, sugar, and water—nothing to it.
But do you know how to make those three ingredients turn into the perfect lemonade every time? Here’s a basic lemonade recipe plus variations to sweeten things up, add some spice, and bring an unexpected twist to your standard summertime beverage.
Basic Lemonade
Starting proportions: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1 cup lemon juice (made by juicing 4 to 6 lemons; enough for 1 cup, or by using store-bought lemon juice). Note: Reduce the sugar or add more water if this is too sweet for your taste.
• Begin by making a simple syrup, which will disperse the sugar throughout the liquid instead of the sugar sinking to the bottom of the pitcher. To make the simple syrup, heat sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• In a pitcher, combine the simple syrup and lemon juice.
• Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water; stir well. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Pour over ice to serve. Makes 6 servings.
Tips:
• Strain the homemade lemon juice if you don’t like pulp in your lemonade.
• Freeze some of your lemonade in ice cube trays and use instead of regular ice cubes to keep the lemonade from diluting.
• Try adding a pinch of salt to bring out the flavor even more.
Lemonade Variations
Vanilla Lemonade
Follow the Basic Lemonade recipe, but add 1 split vanilla bean while heating the sugar and water. Press the vanilla bean to get the flavor to escape while heating. Keep the bean in the mixture when you add cold water.
Grape Juice Lemonade
Add 2 cups of grape juice to your pitcher of lemonade for a fun twist.
Watermelon and Strawberry Lemonade
Add 8 cups cubed seeded watermelon, 1 cup fresh strawberries, halved, and the finished Basic Lemonade in a blender and blend until smooth.
Ginger Lemonade
Add 4 to 5 slices of fresh ginger root to the water and sugar when making the simple syrup. Remove the ginger before mixing the syrup with cold water.
Mint Lemonade
Add ½ cup (packed) chopped fresh mint leaves while making the simple syrup. Remove before mixing with cold water. Use whole mint leaves as a garnish.
Spiced Lemonade
Mix 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard with ½ cup lemonade and ½ cup spiced gin. Add 1 slice each of lemon, lime, orange, and cucumber, and 1 spring of fresh mint. Serve over ice. Makes one serving.