Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

pitcher of lemonade with a wooden spoon in it.

4.76 from 49 votes

Old-fashioned Homemade Lemonade with just the right amount of sweetness is the perfect, easy three-ingredient drink for your next gathering. Squeeze fresh lemons, take some help from bottled lemon juice, or do a combination of the two.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 1

Total Time 1 25

Servings quarts

Author Melissa Williams

Ingredients

¾ cup lemon juice approximately 4-5 lemons
7 ¼ cups water
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 cups ice

Instructions

Wash then roll then squeeze the juice from lemons until you reach ¾ cup (this should be approximately 4-5 medium lemons). Alternatively, you can use bottled lemon juice to replace or supplement the fresh lemon juice. Set aside.
¾ cup lemon juice, 7 ¼ cups water
Slice the squeezed lemons and set aside.
To a large pot over medium heat, add the water and sliced lemons. Bring to a slight boil (about 8 minutes).
Add in the sugar and stir until dissolved.
1 ¼ cups sugar
Use a strainer to pour the sugar water into a pitcher to catch any lemon seeds and pulp.
Add in the fresh lemon juice and stir. Add in the ice.
3 cups ice
Let chill 2-4 hours in the fridge (or overnight) then enjoy!

Notes

Wash lemons thoroughly since you’ll be using the whole fruit.
Bottled lemon juice is fine—just check for minimal additives.
Adjust sugar to taste: reduce to 1 cup or ¾ cup for a more tart lemonade.
Store covered in the fridge for best freshness.
Keeps for 5–7 days—discard if smell or appearance changes.

Nutrition