How to Make Delicious Homemade Strawberry Lemonade for the 4th of July

When you’re hot and thirsty, nothing tastes as perfect as homemade lemonade on ice. Something about the bright citrus flavors and the hint of tartness quenches thirst as no other drink can. This year, you can enhance the appeal of this classic summertime drink with an extra dash of nutrition, color and flavor simply by making homemade strawberry lemonade. It’s beautiful to look at, delicious to sip and a breeze to make.

 

Quality Ingredients

 

The key to a memorable batch of lemonade to use the very best quality ingredients you can find at the supermarket produce section. Doing so will elevate your lemonade from “tasty” to “amazing.” Look for organic lemons, or for a special treat, Meyer lemons. Meyer lemons are a special breed of lemon thought to have first been cultivated in China by combining a lemon with the sweet, floral mandarin orange. As a result, using Meyer lemons will result in a sweeter lemonade reminiscent of that beloved Italian liqueur, Lemoncello. If you cannot find Meyer lemons, opt for an organic variety versus conventional fruit. Besides being free of pesticides and more nutritious, organic fruit is definitely tastier.

Next, select your strawberries. Here again, you’ll want to choose organic fruit if it is available in your area. Conventional strawberries are considered one of the “dirty dozen” of the produce world because they retain one of the highest concentrations of pesticide residue after being harvested. Important as that may be, in this instance organic fruit is recommended primarily for its superior flavor. Choose berries that are a deep, vibrant shade of red with no green ends (under-ripe) or brown blemishes (over-ripe).

 

Tools and Preparation

 

Once you get these beautiful fruits home, you’re ready to make your lemonade. To do so, you’ll want to gather your blender, a mixing spoon, paring knife, mesh strainer and favorite pitcher. A perfect lemonade is easy to make. Most people prefer a more delicate brew – not too sweet, not too sour – for which the following recipe is perfect.

1 3/4 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup strawberry juice

 

Steps

 

1). Begin by boiling one cup of water. Once it boils, reduce the heat and stir in the sugar. This is your simple syrup base. Allow it to chill.

2). Next, juice your lemons, removing any seeds. One cup of fresh lemonade will require the juice of about 6 lemons.

3). To extract the juice from your strawberries, place one cup of whole, ripe strawberries in a blender, and puree. Strain the puree through a sieve, pressing the solids to get all of the juice.

4). Finally, you can add the remaining water, lemon juice and berry juice to your chilled simple syrup mixture. Stir it up and serve over ice, and you’ve created a delectable summer libation.

If you’re feeling particularly bold, you can make some mouth-watering adult variations by adding a few simple enhancements. The sweetness of the berries coupled with the sour bite of the lemons is a perfect compliment to a high quality bourbon. Foodies with appreciate the addition of crushed mint leaves, or for real pizzazz, crush a handful of basil leaves and stir into your brew. No matter whether you choose the original version or one of these upgrades, your summer strawberry lemonade will be the talk of your party.

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