This Strawberry Lemonade recipe will have you ready for a summer party! Made with only 3 basic ingredients, this homemade strawberry lemonade is the most refreshing drink recipe you'll find!
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Put on your sun hat and grab a glass, because we've got a whole pitcher of strawberry lemonade to sip on the porch.
Fresh strawberries are one of my favorite things about summer. The color can't be beat, and they're so much sweeter than what you find in the store the rest of the year.
Lemonade is also a summer staple, so why not put these two together? What we end up with is a fresh and delicious pretty pink drink that is loved by kids and adults alike!
Ingredients
- Water
- Lemons
- Strawberries
- Granulated sugar
How to make strawberry lemonade
- In a 2 quart saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil, stirring frequently until dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the lemon zest, and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, add strawberries to a food processor and blend until liquified.
- Strain sugar syrup and strawberry puree into a large pitcher. Add lemon juice and cold water. Stir, chill, and serve.
Top tips
The best way to squeeze lemons
Normally squeezing lemons by hand would be just fine, but you're going to be going through a lot of lemons here and you don't want to end up with tired hands! I recommend using some sort of tool to help you get all the juice out of your lemons easily.
I always use a squeezer (affiliate link), but a reamer is another inexpensive option. To get the most juice with the least amount of effort, go ahead and get a juicer.
Don't forget to zest 1-2 lemons before juicing them. It is very difficult to remove zest from a citrus fruit after cutting and juicing it.
The best lemon zester
I love my Deiss microplane for zesting citrus fruits, but any microplane would work. If you don't have a microplane you can cut the lemon peel into very fine strips with a large chef's knife. Be sure you don't include the white pith or it will make your lemonade bitter.
How to store strawberry lemonade
Keep leftover lemonade covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze strawberry lemonade in a mason jar for up to 3 months, just make sure not to fill it to the top since it will expand when freezing.
Tips for customizing strawberry lemonade
- Create a mocktail by pouring strawberry lemonade into ice filled glasses halfway, then topping off with club soda
- Make it a cocktail by adding a 1 cup vodka to the pitcher
- Use your favorite fresh summer berry in place of the strawberries, such as blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries
- Make strawberry limeade by substituting limes for the lemons
- Pour lemonade into popsicle molds and freeze for homemade lemonade popsicles
FAQ
Pink lemonade is generally regular lemonade with a little food coloring or cranberry juice added. We're making full flavor strawberry lemonade with real, fresh strawberries, so there's a big difference!
It's important to remove the leafy greens and white core of your strawberries before making strawberry lemonade. I like to use this little strawberry huller (<- affiliate link) to easily remove the stems from the strawberries before throwing them in the food processor. They're so cheap and easy that I can have a few and enlist my kids to help to make it super fast!
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries as long as you thaw them first. There will likely be a lot of liquid with thawed strawberries, so you may need to add less water. Taste and adjust as needed.
More drink recipes
- Homemade Lemonade
- Single Serving Lemonade
- Single Serving Strawberry Lemonade
- Mojito Pitcher
- Gold Rush Cocktail
- Piña Colada Mocktail
- Rum Punch
- Pitcher Mojito
- Blackberry Gin Cocktail
- Lemon Drop Shots
- Pineapple Margarita
- Margarita Pitcher
- Mocktail Bar Ideas
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Strawberry Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
- 1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice, about 6-8 lemons
- 2 cups cold water
Instructions
- In a 2 quart saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil, stirring frequently until dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the lemon zest, and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, add strawberries to a food processor and blend until liquified.
- Strain sugar syrup and strawberry puree into a large pitcher. Add lemon juice and cold water. Stir, chill, and serve.
Notes
Tips for customizing your strawberry lemonade recipe
- Create a mocktail by pouring strawberry lemonade into ice filled glasses halfway, then topping off with club soda
- Make it a cocktail by adding a 1 cup vodka to the pitcher
- Use your favorite fresh summer berry in place of the strawberries, such as blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries
- Make strawberry limeade by substituting limes for the lemons
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