Nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer day than a glass of ice cold fresh squeezed lemonade.

Lemonade is a summertime staple around our house , and arguably one of my children’s favorite beverage. Safe to say, we make this drink A LOT! Not only is it inexpensive and simple, lemons also boast many healthful properties.

Health Benefits of Lemons

Lemons are a fantastic food for your body. They contain a variety of compounds such as vitamins, fiber, and essential oils to aid your body in healthy function.

Lemons are high in vitamin C, which can assist your in body warding off a long list of sicknesses. Vitamin C is also beneficial in optimizing your ability to absorb iron.

Lemon juice, though acidic when ingested, is metabolized into alkaline byproducts. This can actually help neutralize stomach acid and have a pH raising effect on your body…which is a good thing! Research suggests raising your body pH can have anti-cancer effects.

Lemon essential oil (found in the peel) is an amazing compound for liver detox and cleansing the lymphatic system. Overall, lemons are knowns for cleansing and cleaning in a variety of contexts. So, don’t forget to add those lemon slices or zest to your pitcher, and let the essential oils come out!

Making the Lemonade

If you’re going to put lemon slices, zest, or peels in your lemonade be sure to wash your fruit really well before beginning lemonade preparations.

Slicing the lemon halfway between the navel ends, cuts through the fruit segments and allows for the easiest and most efficient extraction of juice.

For this recipe, I chose to use a hand juicer to extract the lemon juice. I picked this wooden style up at an antique store, but there are many styles and materials available. Insert the rigid end of the juicer into the flesh of your lemon and twist back and forth until the juice and pulp have been removed. (If you don’t have a citrus juicer, you can just squeeze with your hands, but you probably won’t get as much juice from each lemon.) Strain or scoop out any seeds, and discard them.

From here it’s pretty simple. You combine your lemon juice with sugar and water, and stir until the sugar granuals have dissolved. You can adjust the sweetness to your preferred taste.

I prefer serving this lemonade over ice, and have therefore made this recipe a little on the sweeter side to account for the dilution that will occur as the ice quickly melts if you’re enjoying it outside on a hot day. I recommend filling a 12-16 oz glass 3/4 full of ice, and adding approximately 8 ounces of lemonade. This will render 8 servings.

Are you ready to enjoy some fresh squeezed lemonade?

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Ingredients

4-8 Lemons (enough to squeeze 1 cup of juice, plus extra for garnish, if desired)

3/4 cup sugar

ice (optional)

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Directions

Begin by washing the lemons well.

Use a sharp knife to cut the lemons in half between the navel ends, and use a juicer to extract 1 cup of lemon juice. You may slice or wedge an extra lemon to use as garnish, if desired.

In a 1/2 gallon pitcher, add the fresh squeezed lemon juice and 3/4 cup of sugar. Add enough cold water to fill the pitcher, and stir with a tall wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved.

For best flavor, refrigerate the lemonade for several hours before serving.

To serve: Fill a glass with ice, pour the lemonade, and garnish.

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