I Love Lemonade.
I really do.
I love real lemonade.. so yummy... made from lemons and water and sugar.
I also love to save money and lemons are not always super cheap... so i kind of made a recipe and a way to make it that saves some money. Yay!
So first... you need to buy lemons when they are on sale. Or maybe you are super lucky and have a lemon tree... even better! Anyway... get them on sale and then get to slicing and squeezing.
So you need to find a way to freeze the juice 1/2 cup at a time. If you have some small resealable containers (tupperware, gladware, yogurt containers with lids) you can just put 1/2 cup in there and put the lid on it. I have tested and found ice cube trays where 5 ice cubes equals 1/2 cup so I pour the juice in the cube tray and freeze. For those who are curious... lemons vary quite a bit in size so I'd say 3-5 lemons can equal 1/2 cup of juice.
So I just pop these in a baggie after they are frozen.
Whatever you do... ice cubes or a container, you should put the recipe on the lid. Just write it on a post-it and stick it on. If you are using a baggie, most freezer ones have a place to write on.
Before I quite get to that I have to talk about simple syrup. Simple syrup is a way to flavor cold beverages with sugar. You see... if you just pour the sugar into something cold it will not fully dissolve and your drink won't be properly sweetened and you will have sugar sludge at the bottom. No bueno. Don't freak out, it is easy to make.
1 part water
1 part sugar
heat
That's really it. You can heat it on the stove on medium heat until the sugar dissolves or you can pop it in the microwave for 1 minute and stir. No biggie.
So here is the recipe:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup simple syrup
4 cups ice water
Here is what you should label your lemon juice with:
Lemonade
add: 1/2 cup simple syrup
4 cups ice water
Or if you have cubes -
Lemonade
Mix 5 cubes with 1/2 cup simple syrup and 4 cups ice water
Make sure you put that this is for lemonade. Why you ask? Well.... I plan on putting up more drink recipes in the future so you will need to differentiate in your freezer! Also you don't want people to accidentally use your lemon juice cubes!
Anyway... it is fantastic lemonade. You can jazz it up by using vanilla sugar or carbonated water, but I always prefer the classic.
BONUS CRAFT IDEA
You will have a bunch of lemon rinds leftover! If you are making lemonade for a party (this recipe is super easy to double, quadruple, etc.) you can make fantastic little candle holders!
Some lemon halves may stand up straight on their own. If not, you can slice off the bottom to create a flat surface.
Pop in a tea light and you are in business! This is a cheap and festive way to light a table or deck rail.
Hope you enjoyed!
Jewels
