Description
A perfectly balanced sweet and tart strawberry lemonade that bursts with fresh fruit flavor. This homemade beverage is ideal for warm weather gatherings or a delightful treat any time of year, offering an invigorating and satisfying experience.
Ingredients
1 lb fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water (for syrup)
4 cups water (for lemonade)
1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4–6 large lemons)
Ice, to serve
Fresh mint sprigs, optional for garnish
Instructions
Make the strawberry syrup: Combine sliced strawberries, granulated sugar, and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes, until strawberries have softened and released their juices. Remove from heat and let it steep for another 5-10 minutes.
Strain the syrup: Pour the strawberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing gently on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids (or save for another use). Let the syrup cool completely.
Assemble the lemonade: In a large pitcher, combine the cooled strawberry syrup, fresh lemon juice, and 4 cups of water. Stir well to combine.
Adjust sweetness and tartness: Taste the lemonade and add more sugar (dissolved in a little warm water) or lemon juice as needed to achieve your desired balance.
Serve: Fill glasses with ice. Pour the strawberry lemonade over the ice. Garnish with reserved strawberry slices or fresh mint sprigs if desired.
Notes
For an extra vibrant color and intense strawberry flavor, you can blend some of the strawberries before adding them to the syrup mixture.
Ensure the strawberry syrup is completely cooled before mixing with the lemon juice and water to prevent the lemonade from becoming cloudy or losing its refreshing quality.
Store any leftover strawberry lemonade in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If fresh strawberries are not available, you can use 1 to 1.5 cups of frozen strawberries, but the texture of the syrup might be slightly different.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Summer Desserts
- Method: Stovetop (syrup) & No-Cook (lemonade)
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approx. 1.5 - 2 cups
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 10mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg