Tidings of Comfort & Joy - Ashton-Drake Holiday 2021

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Lemonade Recipe

If you’re looking for a quick and easy lemonade recipe, this is not the one for you. But… if you want a good old-fashioned, just-like-Grandma’s lemonade that you will be proud to serve at the next summer get-together, then you just need to give this one a try! The ingredients are simple, but the extra steps, along with the rest time, truly make all the difference.

What you’ll need:

  • 8 large fresh lemons
  • 2 quarts of waters
  • 1 ¾ – 2 cups of sugar

 

What to do:

  1. Wash the lemons to remove any dirt or pesticides from the skin. Gently peel the lemons, being careful not to cut into the white membrane.
  2. Place half of the lemon peels in the bottom of a bowl, pour the sugar in the bowl, then lay the remaining lemon peels on top of the sugar. Do not stir the mixture. Let the mixture stand for at least an hour while the sugar absorbs the lemon oil.
  3. After at least an hour of rest, pour the sugar and 1 cup of water into a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil, stirring very gently until sugar dissolves. Remove the rinds and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
  4. Juice the lemons, removing the seeds but leaving the pulp if desired. Pour the cooled sugar syrup into a pitcher. Add the lemon juice and stir slightly. Add the remaining water and stir thoroughly. Refrigerate for approximately 2 hours.
  5. Serve over ice and/or garnishments.

 

Some tips:

  • When peeling the lemons, be careful not to peel into the white membrane, which can be very bitter. A gentle hand and a potato peeling can help.
  • If you find it too difficult to peel the lemons, pour the sugar in a bowl and sprinkle a with a quarter cup of lemon juice instead. Then let the sugar rest for an hour.
  • You may find it easier to juice the lemons first then peel the rinds. Refrigerate the lemon juice while continuing with the recipe.
  • When adding juice to the sugar syrup in the pitcher, you may wish to pour the juice through a strainer to catch any loose seeds or undesired pulp.

 

Try these garnishments:

  • Mint sprigs
  • Sliced strawberries
  • Whole raspberries
  • Whole blueberries
  • Basil sprigs
  • Lemon slices
  • Lime slices
  • Edible flowers