American
Strawberry Lemonade
Fresh lemon juice and a quick strawberry puree stirred into a simple syrup. It is bright, not candy-sweet, and made to pour over ice.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- A short syrup dissolves the sugar so it does not sit in the bottom.
- Straining the berries keeps the drink clear of seeds.
- Lemon juice should taste sharp before the ice dilutes it.
- The pitcher holds well in the fridge for a few days.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Simmer the sugar and 1 cup of the water over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Cool the syrup.
- 2
Blend the strawberries until smooth. Pour the puree through a fine strainer and discard the seeds.
- 3
Stir the cooled syrup, lemon juice, strawberry puree, and the remaining 4 cups cold water in a pitcher.
- 4
Taste. Add a splash of water if it is too strong, or a spoon of sugar if the lemons are harsh.
- 5
Serve over ice with lemon slices.
Pro tips
- Roll the lemons on the counter before juicing. You get more juice.
- Taste before you add ice. Ice waters it down.
- Very ripe berries need less sugar. Taste the puree first.
Easy substitutions
- strawberries
- raspberries
- sugar
- honey, stirred into warm syrup
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered pitcher up to 4 days. Stir before pouring.
Reheating
Serve cold. Do not heat.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 160
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 41 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop
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