Cookbook:Lemonade

Lemonade
Category	Beverage recipes
Servings	4 servings
Time	~10 minutes
Difficulty

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size:	1 cup (300 ml)
Servings Per Recipe:	4
Amount per serving
Calories	170
Calories from fat	1
Total Fat	0.05 g
Saturated Fat	0.016 g
Cholesterol	0.2 mg
Sodium	3.6 mg
Total Carbohydrates	42.1 g
Dietary Fiber	0.53 g
Sugars	41.9 g
Protein	0.16 g
Vitamin A	0%
Vitamin C	4%
Calcium	1%
Iron	0%

Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes | Cuisine of the United States | Beverages

Lemonade is a sweetened beverage made from lemons, sugar, and water. It is popular in the United States during the spring and summer, when it is generally served chilled with ice.

In some countries, the word 'lemonade' is also used to describe any clear carbonated drink; in others, it means any fruit-flavored soda.

Variation I

Ingredients

• about 6 medium lemons, juiced to yield 1 cup (250 ml/8.5 oz) of juice
• 3¼ cups (850 ml/29 oz) water
• ¾ cup sugar (160 g/5.6 oz) (can be adjusted by ± ¼ cup (55 g/1.9 oz))

Procedure

1. Juice the lemons on a citrus reamer. Rolling the lemons on the counter with moderate pressure prior to juicing will result in more juice from each lemon. Try to keep out the seeds. If you prefer lemonade with no pulp, strain the juice to remove it.
2. Dissolve the sugar in the water. Heat may be helpful if using a large amount of sugar.
3. Combine the juice and sugar water in a pitcher. Stir well.
4. Chill or serve over ice cubes.

Variation II

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size:	1 cup (480 ml)
Servings Per Recipe:	4
Amount per serving
Calories	170
Calories from fat	1
Total Fat	0.06 g
Saturated Fat	0.02 g
Cholesterol	0.3 mg
Sodium	5 mg
Total Carbohydrates	54.2 g
Dietary Fiber	0.55 g
Sugars	54.1 g
Protein	0.18 g
Vitamin A	0%
Vitamin C	4%
Calcium	1%
Iron	0%

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 ml/8.5 oz) lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar (225 g/7.9 oz)
• 2 cups (500 ml/1 pint) warm water
• 4 cups (1 L) cold water

Procedure

1. Pour the warm water into a pitcher and stir in sugar until it dissolves (sugar dissolves quicker in warm water).
2. Pour in lemon juice, stir again, and add the cold water.
3. Chill or serve over ice cubes.

Variation III

Ingredients

• 4 lemons
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 liter of carbonated water
• a few leaves of mint or lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

Procedure

1. Press the lemons, and dissolve the sugar in the juice.
2. Add carbonated water and the melissa or mint leaves.

Notes

1. Lemon juice may be replaced substituted by orange juice or other citrus juice, if desired.

Variation IV

Ingredients

• 7 cups (1.7 liters (1.8 US qt)) of cold carbonated water
• 1 cup of sugar (225 grams (7.9 oz))
• 1 package of lemonade-flavored Kool-Aid, or similar powder drink mix

Procedure

1. Pour the carbonated water into a two-quart pitcher.
2. Add sugar and Kool-Aid or drink mix. Stir thoroughly.
3. Serve chilled over ice, if desired.

Variation V

Ingredients

• 5 cups (1.2 liters (1.3 US qt)) water
• 1 cup (250 milliliters (8.5 US fl oz)) lemon juice, about 5 large lemons or 8 small ones
• ¾ cup (160 grams (5.6 oz)) cane sugar or turbinado raw; the latter will make a very brown color

Equipment

• Citrus reamer
• 2-cup (250-milliliter (8.5 US fl oz)) measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• 2-US-quart (1.9 l) bottle

Procedure

1. Squeeze lemons into the measuring cup.
2. Stir the sugar into the juice until it is mostly dissolved. Pour into bottle.
3. Pour 2 cups (500 milliliters (1.1 US pt)) water in the measuring cup; stir to dissolve any remaining sugar. Pour into bottle.
4. Pour 2 more cups (500 milliliters (1.1 US pt)); stir again and pour into bottle.
5. Pour in the last cup (250 milliliters (8.5 US fl oz)); stir and pour into bottle.
6. Put a lid on the bottle and shake well. Chill.

Notes

• If you do not have 1 cup (250 milliliters (8.5 US fl oz)) lemon juice, edit recipe thus: 4 parts lemon juice to 3 parts sugar to 20 parts water (1 part is ¼ cup (60 milliliters (2.0 US fl oz))).
• Sugar quantity can be altered to make it more sweet or more bitter. Water level can be adjusted to make it stronger or weaker.

General Variations

• Hard lemonade adds an alcoholic spirit, such as tequila, gin, or vodka, to the lemonade.
• Various fruits, such as strawberries and raspberries can be added for color and flavor. A small amount of beet juice results in pink lemonade with little change in flavor.
• Herbs such as mint, borage, lavender, and lemon verbena can change the aroma of the drink.
• Including the peels, bruised and sliced, gives more bite and a stronger aroma.
• Other citrus fruits can be used, including lime, orange, and grapefruit. Sugar and water content should be adjusted to taste. In American parlance, these are not technically lemonades, but limeade, orangeade, etc.
• The sugar can be replaced by other alternative sweeteners.