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    Home » Recipes » Beverages

    Published: May 1, 2023 Modified: May 1, 2023 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Old Fashioned Lemonade

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    promotional graphic for Old Fashioned Lemonade

    Grab some lemons and your largest pitcher because we're about to fill it up with some old fashioned lemonade. Made with lemons, sugar, and water, it doesn't get any simpler than this summer drink recipe!

    ariel view of a pitcher full of lemonade and ice with some lemon slices inside

    If you love the taste of lemonade, then you're going to love this old fashioned homemade lemonade. Nothing is better than the classics, and this drink really hits the spot!

    Packed with sweet and tart lemon flavor in every sip, this lemonade is a favorite for a reason. For more lemonade recipes, make sure to check out my Frozen Whipped Lemonade, Creamy Lemonade, and Single Serving Lemonade.

    Why This Recipe Works

    1. Minimal ingredients. You only need 4 ingredients to make this drink, making it perfect for when you want something quick and easy.
    2. Tangy and sweet. This drink is honestly perfect. Not too sweet and not too tart, this lemonade is strong and well balanced.
    3. Easy to follow steps. The steps needed to make this recipe are simple and easy, making it perfect for everyone to give it a try! Dissolve the sugar and mix it all in a pitcher. Add ice and serve.
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🧾 Substitutions
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • ⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Storage
    • 🥣 Recipe Add-Ins
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    labeled ingredients needed to make old fashioned lemonade

    🥘 Ingredients

    Sugar- You will need some granulated sugar to sweeten this drink.

    Water- Water is the base of the lemonade and will help to dissolve the sugar so that it doesn't turn out grainy.

    Lemon juice- You can use freshly squeezed lemons or lemon juice concentrate. Fresh lemons give a better flavor, but the concentrate is great for when you're in a pinch (plus it's cheaper).

    Ice- Adding ice cubes to the lemonade will make it chilled and refreshing.

    Lemons- If desired, you can slice some additional lemons and add them to the pitcher for a nice garnish.

    For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • Pitcher
    • Large spoon
    • Small pot
    • Measuring Cups

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make old fashioned lemonade with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    a pot with sugar and water inside

    Prepare the simple syrup by cooking 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a small pot just until the sugar has dissolved.

    a pot with simple syrup inside

    Allow to cool before use. Alternatively, you can make microwave simple syrup.

    simple syrup at the bottom of a clear pitcher

    Pour the simple syrup into your pitcher.

    lemon juice at the bottom of a clear pitcher

    Add in the lemon juice.

    aerial view of lemonade and ice cubes in a clear pitcher

    Now add in the water and enough ice cubes to fill the pitcher. Stir to combine.

    a side view of a clear pitcher full of yellow lemonade and fresh lemon slices

    Add sliced lemon for garnishes, if desired.

    Pour into drinking glasses and enjoy cold.

    Keep stored in the fridge. Enjoy!

    a close up of a glass of lemonade with ice cubes and lemon slices inside

    🧾 Substitutions

    Lemon juice. If you don't have real lemons on hand, you can use concentrate in a pinch. You can also use it to bring the fresh lemon juice up to the required measurement so you can keep that strong lemon flavor.

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    To squeeze more juice out of fresh lemons a tip I like to use is microwaving them for about 10-30 seconds. Then before slicing in half, roll them back and forth along the counter while pushing down on them, like you're rolling out a dough log. This helps to get more juice out of the lemons.

    If desired, you can make Microwave Simple Syrup instead of cooking it on the stovetop.

    ⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions

    If you plan to make this recipe more than a few hours in advance, I recommend not adding the ice and garnishes until later.

    Prepare the lemonade as-is, and leave it in the pitcher in the fridge for several hours or a day before serving. Then add the ice and garnishes closer to serving time.

    This will keep the ice from melting too quickly and help you to avoid a watered-down flavor.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Storage

    This lemonade is good for up to 5 days. Make sure you keep it stored in the fridge when not being used.

    🥣 Recipe Add-Ins

    The BEST part about lemonade is that you can add just about anything to it and still have it taste great! For example:

    • Add blue raspberry syrup for Blue Raspberry Lemonade
    • Add in pickle juice for Pickle Lemonade
    • Add in orange juice for Orange Lemonade
    • Adding strawberry puree will give you Strawberry Pink Lemonade

    Swap out sugar for sweetened condensed milk, honey, or maple syrup. Brown sugar also works well too.

    There are so many different options available you can have a pitcher of unique lemonade recipes in the fridge all summer long.

    💭 FAQs

    What are the main components of lemonade?

    The main ingredients in traditional lemonade are lemon juice, water, and sugar. Anything "extra" is exactly that.

    Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of squeezed?

    Yes, absolutely! I often find myself using bottled lemon juice for lemonade instead of fresh lemons because it's much cheaper and easier to store. The lemon flavor might be more pronounced with concentrate so you may need some additional sweetener.

    How long does homemade lemonade last?

    Your homemade lemonade can last about 5-7 days if kept stored in the fridge.

    a small glass of iced lemonade with fresh lemon slices inside

    More great drink recipes to check out soon

    • Vanilla Iced Latte
    • Blue Monster Cookie Milkshake
    • Maple Iced Coffee
    • How to Make an Italian Soda

    📖 Recipe

    a close up aerial view of a pitcher full of ice cold lemonade
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Old Fashioned Lemonade

    Grab some lemons and your largest pitcher because we're about to fill it up with some old fashioned lemonade. Made with lemons, sugar, and water, it doesn't get any simpler than this summer drink recipe!
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 86kcal
    Cost Recipe $4.31 / Serving $0.43
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Pitcher
    • Large spoon
    • Small pot
    • Measuring Cups

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Granulated sugar ($0.22)
    • 4 cups Water, divided ($0.00)
    • 1 cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (5-6 large lemons) ($3.41)
    • Ice Cubes ($0.00)
    • 1 small Lemon, sliced *for garnish ($0.68)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Prepare the simple syrup by cooking 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a small pot just until the sugar has dissolved.
    • Allow to cool before use. Alternatively, you can make microwave simple syrup.
    • Pour the simple syrup into your pitcher.
    • Add in the lemon juice.
    • Now add in the water and enough ice cubes to fill the pitcher. Stir to combine.
    • Add sliced lemon for garnishes, if desired.
    • Pour into drinking glasses and enjoy cold.
    • Keep stored in the fridge. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Substitutions

    • Lemon juice. If you don't have real lemons on hand, you can use concentrate in a pinch. You can also use it to bring the fresh lemon juice up to the required measurement so you can keep that strong lemon flavor.

    Recipe Tips

    • To squeeze more juice out of fresh lemons a tip I like to use is microwaving them for about 10-30 seconds. Then before slicing in half, roll them back and forth along the counter while pushing down on them, like you're rolling out a dough log. This helps to get more juice out of the lemons.
    • If desired, you can make Microwave Simple Syrup instead of cooking it on the stovetop.

    Make Ahead Instructions

    • If you plan to make this recipe more than a few hours in advance, I recommend not adding the ice and garnishes until later.
    • Prepare the lemonade as-is, and leave it in the pitcher in the fridge for several hours or a day before serving. Then add the ice and garnishes closer to serving time.
    • This will keep the ice from melting too quickly and help you to avoid a watered-down flavor.

    Storage

    • This lemonade is good for up to 5 days. Make sure you keep it stored in the fridge when not being used.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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