Tangy, sweet & refreshing, the lazy days of summer are always better with a big glass of cold Fresh Homemade Strawberry Lemonade!
Fresh Homemade Strawberry Lemonade is one of our favorite drinks, no matter the time of year. This lemonade is less tart and more sweet – an anytime favorite for the whole family.
While fresh ingredients are great, this recipe doesn’t need fresh lemons or fresh berries – it can be made with bottled lemon juice and frozen berries and it is just as good!
What You’ll Need to Make Fresh Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
- White Sugar – standard pantry white granulated sugar.
- Water – 1 cup to make the simple syrup, 6 cups for lemonade.
- Strawberries – fresh or frozen, washed and hulled. About 2 1/2 cups. Can substitute raspberries or blueberries if you like.
- Lemons – 5-6 fresh lemons, juiced, about 1 cup of juice, plus extra for garnish (if desired). Can substitute 1 cup of bottled lemon juice.
- Ice cubes – for serving.
the secret ingredient that makes this Strawberry Lemonade great
When I first started making lemonade, I didn’t know this trick! My method used to be to juice some lemons, stir the juice, water and sugar in a pitcher and serve. While the lemonade was drinkable, it wasn’t smooth. There was just something that wasn’t quite right.
Taking just a few minutes to create a simple syrup for this lemonade changes everything. The combination of sugar, water and heat takes away the sharp, acidic edge from the lemon juice and lets the bright and vibrant flavors shine through. Don’t skip it in this recipe – you won’t regret it!
How to make Fresh Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
A classic summer drink, strawberry lemonade is easy to make and a wonderfully refreshing treat on a hot day. This recipe is sure to become a family favorite!
Create a simple syrup by pouring one cup of water into a small saucepan and adding one cup of sugar. Turn heat to medium-high and stirring constantly, bring to a simmer.
Once the mixture becomes clear, turn off the heat and allow to cool. We take it out of the saucepan and pour into a measuring cup to help it cools faster but this is not a necessary step.
Using an electric citrus juicer, juice the lemons until you have about a cup of lemon juice. This usually takes 5-6 lemons and we usually cut whatever lemon remains into slices for garnish.
Alternately, if you don’t have access to fresh lemons you can use one cup of store bought bottled lemon juice.
To remove the seeds and the lemon pulp (if desired), strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Clean a pint of strawberries and put them into a blender or a food processor. Puree until smooth. Alternately, you may use2 cups of frozen strawberries instead. Thaw completely before blending.
In a large pitcher, combine the simple syrup, lemon juice, strawberry puree and remaining 6 cups of water. Stir until well combined. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices. Enjoy!
Other Fresh Summer Recipes You May Like
Poppy Seed Dressing for Fruit Salad – a couple of spoonfuls of this simple poppy seed dressing adds the perfect pop to fruit salad.
Watermelon Jerky – a delicious healthy snack that is super easy to make using only fresh watermelon and a dehydrator!
Three Ingredient Fruit Dip – A simple combination of whipped cream cheese, marshmallow fluff and a hint of vanilla are the perfect addition to a fresh fruit plate!
Watermelon Lime Sorbet – a delicious alternative to ice cream on a hot summer day!
Fresh Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
Equipment
- Small food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 7 cups water divided
- 1 pint strawberries about 2 1/2 cups
- 5-6 lemons about 1 cup of juice, plus extra for garnish (if desired)
- Ice cubes for serving
Instructions
- Create a simple syrup by pouring one cup of water into a small saucepan and adding one cup of sugar. Turn heat to medium-high and stirring constantly, bring to a simmer.
- Once the water has become clear and all the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Clean one pint of strawberries and using a food processor or a blender, puree until smooth. Set aside. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups).
- Juice lemons until you have one cup of juice. Strain to remove pulp.
- Cut any remaining lemon into slices for garnish if desired.
- Combine simple syrup, strawberry puree, lemon juice and remaining 6 cups of water in a pitcher. Stir well.
- Serve over ice, garnished with lemon slices if desired.
Nutrition *
* The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Chocha says
Grandsons requested Strawberry Lemonade and this recipe was a hit, “Better than the stuff you buy.” I was planning on freezing some but it never made it to the freezer.
Michelle Mundy says
LOVE Hearing this Chocha! I am so glad that they (and you!) enjoyed it! 🙂
Michele Vadnais says
This sounds scrumptious! Strawberry lemonade is one of my favs! On a side note, my kids never wanted pulp either when they were young, so I feel ya!
Rachel Newlon says
I LOVE strawberry lemonade! I am excited to give this recipe a try. Might even add a smidge of vodka for an adult approved beverage! LOL!
crystal says
Perfect summer drink. I just may have to try this for our fourth of July fun
Meghan Kleinschmidt says
This looks delicious! I would strain out the pulp too… Not gonna lie. And yes, vodka would be a perfect adult addition to this.
Donna Lynn Starling says
Love lemonade, do not mide the pulp. Looks very refreshing
Laura says
This looks so delicious! I am definitely going to try this. I don’t mind pulp in my lemonade, so I will skip the straining step but that’s a great tip to know!
Darcy says
Love it, this sounds so delicious! It’s actually quite hard to find frozen lemonade concentrate that doesn’t have corn syrup or artificial sweetener in it. Lemon juice + simple syrup sounds perfect.