Emulsifier Free Classic Lemonade
Bright, tangy, and endlessly refreshing, this from-scratch lemonade is the kind of drink that makes a hot afternoon feel like a celebration. Store-bought lemonades and juice drinks are surprisingly common culprits for hidden additives, including emulsifiers used to blend flavors or stabilize texture — so making your own is genuinely the smarter move. Here, everything is exactly what it looks like: fresh lemon juice, a simple homemade sugar syrup, and cold water. The syrup comes together in just a few minutes on the stovetop, and once it cools, the whole thing is just a matter of stirring and tasting. You can dial the sweetness up or down to suit your crowd, which is something no bottle off a shelf will ever let you do. Served over ice with a few lemon slices and a sprig of mint, it looks as good as it tastes.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the simple syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
For the lemonade
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 6–8 lemons)
- 3 cups cold water
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lemon slices, for serving (optional)
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool for 15 minutes.
- 2
While the syrup cools, juice the lemons and strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher to remove seeds and pulp.
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