How To Make Strawberry Lemonade
Strawberry lemonade is a delicious way to cool down on a hot summer day! It’s a frequent crowd pleaser for barbecues or summer parties and is easy to make.
How Strawberry Lemonade Is Made
This recipe calls for you to crush strawberries in sugar and water to create a fruity simple syrup. When the strawberries are gently cooked in a simple syrup, the delicious strawberry flavor is infused into the sugar. Adding this strawberry simple syrup to lemon juice and water makes a delicious and refreshing summer beverage.
The Flavor Of Strawberry Lemonade
This strawberry lemonade has a beautiful balance of sweet and tart. Both the lemon juice and strawberries impart a delicious tart flavor. The added sweetener of choice balances this tartness.
If you prefer a lemonade that is less tart, I recommend increasing the ratio of sugar to fruit and lemon juice. Adding more sweetener allows for the strawberry flavor to remain bold while reducing the tart flavor.
Are you looking for more recipes? You might also enjoy this homemade taco seasoning or this raw milk yogurt.
The Kind of Strawberries Used For Lemonade
Although this recipe calls to use fresh strawberries, this recipe turns out great with using frozen strawberries. I recommend primarily using fresh strawberries when they are in season at a local U-Pick farm. In my opinion, those strawberries provide the best flavor.
If strawberries are not in season when you make this, the next best option would be to get frozen strawberries. Since frozen strawberries are picked when they’re more ripe than “fresh” strawberries in the produce section, they test to have a better flavor than what you might find in the produce section at your grocery store.
Serving Strawberry Lemonade At A Party
This recipe is perfect to serve at almost any summer party. If you’re serving this at a barbecue or shower event, I recommended making extra and freezing it in ice cube trays.
When placing the beverage out, add the frozen strawberry lemonade instead of regular ice cubes. Having ice cubes with the same flavor will ensure this beverage stays flavorful and cool throughout the event.
Ingredients & Tools For Strawberry Lemonade
Strawberry Syrup
1 ½ cups Cane Sugar (or sugar equivalent sweetener like coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup or honey)
2 Cups Fresh Strawberries
5 cups Filtered water
Lemonade
2 cups Lemon juice
5 cups Filtered water
A medium saucepan
Measuring cups and spoons
A large pitcher or glass jar
A whisk or spoon
Directions
- To begin, add 5 cups of filtered water and 1 ½ cups sugar in a saucepan. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring the sugar mixture to a light boil.
- Add the de-stemmed strawberries to the pan and mash until all large pieces are gone.
- Remove from the heat. Set aside until completely cool.
- If you don’t want any strawberry pulp in your lemonade, you’ll need to strain the strawberry syrup. Once cool, strain the strawberry pulp from the simple syrup by pouring the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
- While the strawberry simple syrup is cooling, combine lemon juice and filtered water into a pitcher or large glass jar.
- Once the strawberry pulp is strained from the syrup, add the strawberry simple syrup to the pitcher or container, stir and enjoy!
- Optional- When serving, garnish with lemon slices and sliced strawberry pieces.
Recipe tips
Tip #1 Changing the Intensity of Strawberry Flavor
Although this recipe calls for two cups of strawberries, the amount of strawberry flavor can be changed.
This recipe results in a pretty pronounced strawberry flavor. If you desire a more subtle strawberry flavor in your lemonade, you can start out with half the amount called for in this recipe and increase it until your desired flavor is achieved.
Tip #2 Make extra and make it into ice cubes.
If you’re serving this at a barbecue or shower event, then I recommended making extra lemonade and freezing it in ice cube trays. Having ice cubes with the same flavor will ensure this beverage stays flavorful and cool throughout the event.
Tip #3 Use Fresh Strawberries When In Season
Using fresh strawberries when they are in season at a local U-Pick farm is by far the best option for an amazing flavor of your lemonade. If you are able to pick strawberries yourself, be sure to find the berries with the deepest red color that gets as close to the center as possible. I’ve found those to be the berries with the most concentrated flavor.
Strawberry Lemonade FAQ:
How is Strawberry Lemonade Made?
This recipe calls for you to crush strawberries in sugar and water to create a fruity simple syrup. When the strawberries are gently cooked in a simple syrup, the delicious strawberry flavor is infused into the sugar. Adding this strawberry simple syrup to lemon juice and water makes a delicious and refreshing summer beverage.
What Does Strawberry Lemonade Taste Like?
This strawberry lemonade has a beautiful balance of sweet and tart. Both the lemon juice and strawberries impart a delicious tart flavor. The added sweetener of choice balances this tartness.
If you prefer a lemonade that is less tart, I recommend increasing the ratio of sugar to fruit and lemon juice. Adding more sweetener allows for the strawberry flavor to remain bold while reducing the tart flavor.
What Kind of Strawberries Are Used For This Lemonade?
Although this recipe calls to use fresh strawberries, this recipe turns out great with using frozen strawberries. I recommend primarily using fresh strawberries when they are in season at a local U-Pick farm. In my opinion, those strawberries provide the best flavor.
If strawberries are not in season when you make this, the next best option would be to get frozen strawberries. Since frozen strawberries are picked when they’re more ripe than “fresh” strawberries in the produce section, they test to have a better flavor than what you might find in the produce section at your grocery store.
How Do I Change The Strength of the Strawberry Flavor?
Although this recipe calls for two cups of strawberries, the amount of strawberry flavor can be changed.
This recipe results in a pretty pronounced strawberry flavor. If you desire a more subtle strawberry flavor in your lemonade, you can start out with half the amount called for in this recipe and increase it until your desired flavor is achieved.
What’s The Best Way to Serve This Strawberry Lemonade At A Party?
If you’re serving this at a barbecue or shower event, I recommended making extra and freezing it in ice cube trays.
When placing the beverage out, add the frozen strawberry lemonade instead of regular ice cubes. Having ice cubes with the same flavor will ensure this beverage stays flavorful and cool throughout the event.
Did you try this? Share your creations in the comments or by tagging @MissysHomestead on Instagram.
Refreshing Strawberry Lemonade
Equipment
- A medium saucepan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- A large pitcher or glass jar
- A whisk or spoon
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Cane Sugar or sugar equivalent sweetener like coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup or honey
- 2 Cups Fresh Strawberries
- 5 cups Filtered water
- 2 cups Lemon juice
- 5 cups Filtered water
Instructions
- To begin, add 5 cups of filtered water and 1 ½ cups sugar in a saucepan. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring the sugar mixture to a light boil.
- Add the de-stemmed strawberries to the pan and mash until all large pieces are gone.
- Remove from the heat. Set aside until completely cool.
- If you don’t want any strawberry pulp in your lemonade, you’ll need to strain the strawberry syrup. Once cool, strain the strawberry pulp from the simple syrup by pouring the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
- While the strawberry simple syrup is cooling, combine lemon juice and filtered water into a pitcher or large glass jar.
- Once the strawberry pulp is strained from the syrup, add the strawberry simple syrup to the pitcher or container, stir and enjoy!
- Optional- When serving, garnish with lemon slices and sliced strawberry pieces.
