BHA & BHT Free Classic Limeade
Bright, tangy, and refreshingly simple, this homemade limeade is the kind of drink that makes you wonder why you ever reached for a bottle. Many store-bought lemonades and limeades contain preservatives like BHA and BHT to extend shelf life, so making your own from scratch is the cleanest way to enjoy a cold glass without any unwanted additives. All it takes is fresh lime juice, a quick homemade simple syrup, and cold water — nothing hidden, nothing processed. Squeezing the limes yourself and straining the juice through a fine-mesh strainer gives you a beautifully clear, vibrant base that no bottled version can match. The simple syrup comes together in just a few minutes on the stovetop, and once it cools, everything gets stirred together in a single pitcher. Serve it over ice with a few lime slices and you have something that looks and tastes like it came from a fancy café. It's the perfect make-ahead drink for warm days when you want something pure, tart, and genuinely satisfying.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the simple syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
For the limeade
- 1 cup fresh lime juice (from about 8–10 limes)
- 3 cups cold water
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lime slices, 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 the heat and let the syrup cool for 15 minutes until it reaches room temperature.
- 2
Juice the limes through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding any seeds and pulp, until you have 1 cup of fresh lime juice.
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