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Drinks · American

Classic Lemonade

Fresh lemons, a quick sugar syrup and cold water: the porch-step pitcher.

Hands-on
15 min
Hands-off
1 h
Total
1 h 15 min
Makes
6 cups (about 1.4 L)
Serves
6

About 5 min to dissolve the syrup and 10 min to juice the lemons (they overlap). Cooling the syrup takes roughly 20-30 min (our estimate; the recipes only say 'cool completely'), then the pitcher chills 30-40 min. Using syrup made earlier and already cold cuts the wait to the chill.

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • vegan
  • gluten-free
  • dairy-free
  • summer
  • picnic
  • kid-friendly
  • non-alcoholic

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Classic Lemonade
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: small saucepan · wooden spoon · citrus juicer · sieve (to catch seeds) · pitcher, at least 2 L (2 qt) · measuring jug

Contains: none of the 9 major allergens in the listed ingredients

Method

  1. Make the syrup

    Put 200 g (1 cup) sugar and 250 ml (1 cup) water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes once it is hot.

    Ready when: The syrup is perfectly clear and you can't see or feel any sugar grains on the spoon or the bottom of the pan.

    Otto tried this firstOtto tips dry sugar straight into the ice-cold lemon water and it sits at the bottom in a gritty pile. That's why the sources dissolve the sugar in hot water first.

  2. Cool the syrup

    Take the pan off the heat and let the syrup cool completely.

    Ready when: The pan and the syrup feel cool to the touch.

  3. Juice the lemons

    While the syrup cools, rinse the lemons under running water and squeeze them until you have 250 ml (1 cup) juice. It usually takes 4 to 6 lemons. Strain out the seeds.

  4. Mix the pitcher

    Pour the cooled syrup and the 250 ml (1 cup) lemon juice into a pitcher. Add 700 ml (3 cups) cold water, stir and taste, then add up to 250 ml (1 cup) more if you want it milder.

  5. Chill and serve

    Refrigerate the pitcher for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve over ice with lemon slices.

Swaps

  • Instead of still cold water (3-4 cups): the same amount of cold sparkling water A fizzy variation; add it just before serving so it keeps its bubbles.
  • Instead of granulated sugar: superfine (caster) sugar, same amount It dissolves faster.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Storage
Our sources don't give a keeping time. Keep the pitcher covered in the fridge and drink it soon after making it.

If something goes wrong

  • Too sour or too sweet Why: Lemons vary in size and sharpness.
    Adjust the water: less for a stronger lemonade, more for a weaker one. For a tarter pitcher, use 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) juice with the same syrup.
  • Gritty sugar at the bottom Why: The sugar didn't fully dissolve.
    Heat the syrup until it is completely clear before cooling it.

Good to know

  • A 2 L (2 qt) pitcher holds the whole batch with room for stirring.
  • Juice the lemons while the syrup cools, so nothing waits on anything else.

Safety

  • Hot sugar syrup can scald. Let it cool in the pan before pouring it into a pitcher, and kids should let an adult handle the hot pan.
  • Rinse the lemons under running water before cutting, even though you don't drink the peel: knives carry germs from the skin into the juice.