Homemade lemonade - the best recipes for making the drink

Homemade lemonade, especially in hot weather, is in extraordinary demand. Both adults and children enjoy it with pleasure. It gives a boost of energy to the body, tones and refreshes, and helps quench thirst. If you add a few ice cubes to a glass of homemade lemonade, garnish it with a sprig of mint and a small fruit slice, it will turn into a festive drink that you won’t be ashamed to offer to your guests.

Benefits of drinking lemonade

Lemonade is certainly very healthy, and the whole secret lies in the content of lemon juice. If the lemonade is made from quality ingredients. Only under this condition will your body be saturated with vitamins A, B, C, D, P, as well as essential microelements - copper, phosphorus, potassium, ascorbic acid and natural salt.

If lemonade is made exclusively from high-quality products, then you will get:

Strengthened immunity - this will reduce colds;
Replenish the lack of biological active substances - metabolism improves;
Accelerates the removal of toxins;
The water-salt balance returns to normal;
Vitamin P – capillaries become less fragile and more permeable;
Cognitive processes and well-being improve;
Stress resistance increases;
The fight against cholesterol prevents it from settling on the walls of blood vessels;
Stabilization of the psycho-emotional background, elevated mood;
Preventing the formation of kidney stones;
Prevention of cancer;
Inhibition of aging processes;
Natural antioxidant – which helps prevent damage to body cells;
A noticeable surge of energy;
Peppermint lemonade acts as an antiseptic.

A large dose of vitamin C contributes to all this. Unfortunately, store-bought lemonades only contain a heavy dose of sugar. Therefore, it is better to drink homemade lemonade so you will be confident in its benefits for your body.

Advice: in order to maintain your health, maintain normal water balance and stable weight, drink about two liters of lemonade per day. With the condition that the lemonade is homemade. The most important thing in the recipe is to keep the sugar content to a minimum. Calorie content of high-quality homemade lemonade – 10.9 kcal

Homemade lemonade recipes

Fortunately, lemonade has ceased to be a drink of aristocrats, lemons are now available, so treating yourself to a royal drink will not be a problem. Moreover, the variety of flavors of lemonade allows you to choose a drink to suit your taste. In order to make homemade lemonade you do not need any special tools; preparing this drink is easy. First you need to choose a lemonade recipe that you like. By the way, there are more than a hundred types of lemonade recipes, and their number is increasing. In this article we will look at the simplest and most popular lemonade recipes. Let's highlight the five most common and simple lemonade recipes that even children can prepare.

Recipe No. 1. Homemade lemonade from lemons

Making classic lemonade from lemons at home is not difficult. For this we need three ingredients:

Lemons – 4-5 pieces, in order to get at least 200 ml. lemon juice, so pay attention to the size of the fruit;
Sugar 150 grams, but you can adjust the sweetness yourself;
Boiled water – 1 liter (the water should be less than 40°C so that the beneficial vitamin C does not disintegrate).

Preparation of the drink:

Step 1 – preparing the syrup. Grate the zest of one lemon; to do this, rinse the lemon thoroughly with hot water and a hard sponge. Pour boiling water over it, then grate it on a fine grater. Be careful not to touch the white part of the peel, as this will cause bitterness. Add 200 ml of water and 150 grams of sugar to the zest. Cook the syrup over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 to 10 minutes on average. Strain the syrup through a strainer so that the zest does not get caught in the lemonade.
Step 2 – Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemons into a separate bowl. If you don’t have a citrus press, use a regular fork or just squeeze it with your hands. You should get 200 ml. lemon juice. In order to squeeze out as much juice as possible, pierce the lemon in several places with a fork, but not deeply. After this, put the lemon in hot water for 1 minute. Pull out the lemon and roll it on the cutting board, pressing it down lightly with your hand. Such manipulations destroy the cell membranes of the lemon, which means that it will release more juice. Then simply cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice. Strain the juice, if the lemon pulp gets into the drink, its taste will become even tastier, the main thing is that no lemon seeds get into the lemonade.
Step 3 – mix all the ingredients and put the lemonade in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Homemade lemonade is ready. It is better to drink this drink chilled or add ice cubes. It's tasty and healthy.

Recipe No. 2. Homemade orange lemonade

Orange lemonade is also popular, like classic lemon lemonade, and children especially like it. Its taste is rich, the color is brighter than lemonade, and the aroma is very attractive. And compared to store-bought, it is healthier and cheaper than popular store-bought orange drinks. So, let's look at the orange lemonade recipe in more detail.

To prepare we need the following ingredients:

Oranges – 4 pieces;
Lemon – 1 piece;
Sugar – 150 grams. But you can adjust the taste of sugar as you wish;
Boiled water – 4 liters (chilled so as not to kill vitamin C);

Making lemonade drink from oranges:

Step 1 – Rinse the lemon and oranges well. The fact is that a special wax is used to cover these fruits, it helps the fruits last longer, but we don’t need it, so it’s better to wash it in very warm water using a hard sponge. After this, wipe them dry.
Step 2 – Using a sharp thin knife, remove the zest from the lemon and orange. Remember that the white part of the peel is bitter; it is better not to catch it.
Step 3 – Cut the lemon and oranges in half and squeeze out the juice. In order for there to be more juice, do not forget to destroy its inner membrane.
Step 4 – place the cut zest in a saucepan and add one and a half liters of water, bring to a boil. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes;
Step 5 – remove the zest from the prepared broth, add sugar to the broth and cook for about two more minutes.
Step 6 – while the broth is hot, you can add a couple of orange slices. Leave the broth to cool.
Step 7 – add the squeezed juice to the cooled broth.

Homemade orange lemonade, or orange as it is also called, is ready. The benefits, taste and aroma are indescribable, just orange pleasure. You want to drink this drink not only in the summer. By the way, compared to the store-bought equivalent, the cost of four liters will be inexpensive.

Recipe No. 3. Homemade lemonade with mint and lemon

Homemade lemonade with mint and lemon is especially cooling, because the menthol contained in mint makes the drink especially refreshing. The recipe for homemade lemonade with mint and lemon is very simple, but very healthy. Consider a detailed recipe for mint lemonade.

To prepare we will need:

Lemon – 3 pieces;
Mint – 1 bunch, the fresher the better;
Sugar – 150 grams, but you can do it according to your taste;
Boiled water - 3 liters, not hot.

Sequential preparation of a drink from mint and lemon:

Step 1 – Wash the lemon well with a sponge and hot water to remove the waxy coating. Remove the lemon zest, as already described in the previous two recipes.
Step 2 - remove the white peel from the lemon so as not to feel the bitterness in the drink. Cut the peeled pulp into pieces and crush to obtain juice.
Step 3 - pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil, add zest, sugar and washed mint (it is better to tear it into pieces). Boil for about two minutes.
Step 4 – cool the broth to 40°C and add crushed and squeezed lemons to it. Leave to cool.
Step 5 – when the lemonade has cooled, strain it.

This lemon mint drink is best enjoyed chilled or with ice. Don't forget to garnish with a sprig of mint. This drink will not leave any person indifferent. By the way, mint also acts as a natural antiseptic.

Recipe No. 4. Homemade lime lemonade

Egyptian lemonade, limeade or lime lemonade can also be made at home. But if you add half a bunch of mint to lime lemonade, you will get a drink called a mojito. Not everyone knows what the difference is between lime and lemon, so they are relatives, but there is a difference between them. Lime is more sour than lemon, plus it has a bitter taste, and lime also contains five times more vitamin C. Lime also contains folic acid, which is not found in lemon. The recipe is also simple and easy to prepare.

To prepare we will need:

Lime – 1-2 pieces, focus on the size, you will need 1 glass of juice;
Boiled water - 1 liter, it should not be too hot, since the vitamins of this fruit are also destroyed by boiling water;
Sugar – 1 glass, but if you like a sweeter drink, you can add another half glass, it all depends on your taste preferences.

Sequential preparation of lime lemonade:

Step 1 – Wash the lime well and dry it.
Step 2 – cut a strip of zest from one lime, do this with a thin and sharp knife, this will make it easier not to catch the bitter white part. You can also use a vegetable peeler.
Step 3 – Add 1 cup of water, sugar and cut zest to a saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, cook until the sugar dissolves.
Step 4 – leave the broth to cool.
Step 5 – add lime juice and the rest of the boiled and pre-cooled water to the cooled syrup.

Like all types of lemonade, drink lime drink chilled or with ice. Don't forget about mint, it will add a special taste. By the way, this drink is useful for pregnant women.

Recipe No. 5 Strawberry lemonade

Fans of the queen strawberry will love this lemonade. Homemade strawberry lemonade with a very original taste, slightly sour, refreshing with a very beautiful color. Try our recipe for strawberry lemonade.

To make strawberry lemonade we will need:

Lemon – 1 piece;
Fresh strawberries – 300 grams;
Sugar – 80 grams, but if the berries are sweet enough you can do without it;
Boiled, purified water – 1.5 liters.

Sequential preparation of lemonade with strawberries:

Step 1 – Wash the strawberries thoroughly and remove the stems.
Step 2 – puree 80 grams of strawberries using a food processor or blender; if you don’t have such kitchen tools, use a regular fork or potato masher.
Step 3 – place strawberry puree in a saucepan and add whole berries.
Step 4 – cut half a lemon into thin slices and place in a saucepan with the strawberries, pour a glass of boiling water, cover with a lid and leave to steep for about 20-30 minutes.
Step 5 – add sugar and the juice of half a lemon to the slightly cooled mass. Stir until the sugar melts.
Step 6 – add the rest of the boiled, purified water and put it in the refrigerator.

After the strawberry lemonade has stood for 2 hours, it is ready to drink. And if you add a couple of sprigs of mint to strawberry lemonade, you will get a drink with a zesty taste.

Useful tricks to use when making lemonade

For diabetes mellitus, it is better to dissolve fructose in lemonade rather than sugar;
The remaining zest will help against insect pests; to do this, dry it and put it in the cabinet where you keep the cereals;
The herb Stevia can replace sugar; it is not inferior in sweetness;
When choosing a lemon, pay attention to the peel; when you cut the lemon, look at the pulp and peel. A lemon with a thin peel is not fresh and will be very sour;
If the lemon is dry, soak it briefly in salt water;
Lemon zest will help with headaches, just apply a piece to your temples. It's all about the essential oils contained in lemons;
Shoes can be easily cleaned using the same lemon zest;
Lemon peels can become delicious candied fruits. The crust is cleared of the white inner layer (it is bitter) and filled with cold water. Water will remove the remaining bitterness, you need to soak for two days, change the water 2 times. After this, the crusts are boiled with sugar for half an hour. Strain and place in the oven to dry for about 15 minutes. After the oven, they are rolled in sugar or powdered sugar. These candied fruits should be stored in a cool, dry place.

What is the concept of lemonade, what is the purpose of creating this drink

The main purpose of the lemon drink is to quench thirst and alleviate the general condition of the human body. Although modern store-bought lemonades, due to their high sugar content, are more likely to cause dry mouth than to quench your thirst.

How is lemonade supposed to quench your thirst? It's not the liquid, but the content of the acidic product - lemon juice. Citric acid stimulates the glands that produce saliva, which is what reduces dry mouth. Unfortunately, lemonade containing chemical solvents does exactly the opposite.

Is lemonade harmful? Who should give up lemonade?

Can lemonade be harmful? If you're talking about store-bought lemonade, then you won't find anything useful in it. The amount of dyes and stabilizers found in store-bought products is simply shocking. If you read the label of purchased lemonade, you can find almost the entire periodic table on it. Such lemonade is not only harmful, it can be dangerous for a child’s body. The amount of sugar that is used in the modern production of lemonades can easily lead to obesity and diabetes. This synthetic drink also increases excitability and aggressiveness, and also causes fatigue in the child’s body.

It is not recommended to buy lemonade at any age; only a drink made from natural products can be beneficial.

But still, there are restrictions even on natural lemonade made at home from natural products.

If you are overweight, it is recommended to drink lemonade without added sugar, and it is better to choose lemonade that contains lime or ginger, they help burn calories;
If you have high stomach acidity, it is also not recommended to drink lemonade, even homemade one. Due to the fact that natural lemonade contains a large amount of acid, it will cause heartburn;
For ulcers and gastritis, you should absolutely not use store-bought lemonades or home-made lemonades, since ascorbic acid corrodes the already damaged walls of the stomach;
For those who are allergic to citrus fruits, drinking lemon drink is contraindicated.

Give lemonade to small children with caution; it should be well diluted, the juice should be no more than 10%. It should not be consumed at all until one is a year old; the stomach is still very tender and therefore citric acid can irritate it. And lemonade bought in a store, especially in plastic bottles, should not be consumed for up to six years at all. Although the popularity of maintaining a healthy lifestyle has recently increased, people have become better concerned about their health and the health of their loved ones. Such a conscious step by humanity did not go unnoticed by resourceful entrepreneurs. Therefore, in many large shopping centers there are special trays where natural lemonade is prepared before your eyes, using only lemon, water, sugar and mint. This makes me very happy.

Myths and interesting facts related to lemonade

Due to the popularity of lemonade, there are many invented and confirmed stories surrounding it. Let's look at some of them.

The most popular opinion is that lemonade is truly a children's drink. But this is not true at all. Previously, when inviting people on a date, they always treated them to lemonade as proof of their noble intentions. Many poets and writers have talked about how inspiration came to them after drinking lemonade. For example, the fact that Nosov’s hero Dunno filled his car with lemonade suggests that the author was a lover of this drink, and Nosov himself did not refuse it. In the works of Pushkin, Chekhov and Lermontov, heroes who like lemonade drinks are also often found. Well, the story is about how the French soldiers, after lemonade from croissants, gained so much courage that they decided to storm the Bastille, and as a result destroyed it. And this is not fiction at all, but a historically recorded fact. So adults should occasionally treat themselves to a portion of chilled lemonade.