Homemade Lemonade
If lemonade is your summer beverage of choice, then you’re going to love this easy, 3-ingredient lemonade recipe which makes a full gallon of the best homemade lemonade.
Fresh lemons, sugar and water come together in minutes, to make the most refreshing drink that’s the perfect mix of sweet and tart.
You can keep a gallon in the fridge to sip on throughout the week or have plenty for your next backyard barbecue, or summer gatherings like Fourth of July and graduation parties.
Just pour some over ice, and enjoy!
Why You’ll Love this Gallon Lemonade Recipe
Inexpensive. Summer and lemonade go hand-in-hand and homemade lemonade is one of the cheapest drinks to make, especially when you buy in-season lemons on sale.
Kids love it. Homemade lemonade is perfect for kids and a cost-effective drink on those lazy days of summer.
Big batch recipe that’s easily multiplied for even bigger groups. If you’ve got an event going on that calls for lemonade, this gallon recipe is ideal. Just double it, triple it or more as needed.
Need to make multiple gallons of lemonade? Save up gallon milk jugs and clean them out. They’re great for storing, transporting and serving lots of lemonade. For a nice touch, download the free printable label below.
Ingredients
- lemons
- water
- sugar
Lemons – Fresh is best. It gives the lemonade that county fair flavor (if you know what I mean).
You can extract the juice with a metal lemon squeezer or use the kind of juice where you twist the lemons by hand.
This KitchenAid juicer attachment is beyond convenient for anyone who has one of their stand mixer.
Water – Use filtered or bottled water for both the lemonade and ice if your tap water tastes funny. I like this Brita water filter pitcher for making drinks with crisp-tasting water.
Sugar – Granulated white cane sugar is best for making classic lemonade.
How to Make 1-Gallon Homemade Lemonade
- Make simple syrup. Combine the sugar and 2 cups of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir until sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool while juicing the lemons.
- Juice the lemons. Roll lemons on counter to release all the juices. Slice in half horizontally and squeeze with a juicer. Strain or scoop out any seeds that get in the lemon juice.
- Make the lemonade. In a gallon pitcher or jug, combine simple syrup and lemon juice. Add in remaining 10 cups of cold water and stir to combine. Chill in refrigerator.
Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.
Recipe Notes
- For lemonade that’s ready fast: Can’t wait to chill lemonade in the refrigerator? Chill the cold water in an ice bath while preparing the syrup and lemon juice.
- For the juiciest lemons: Use room temperature lemons and roll them on the counter prior to squeezing.
- Instead of making simple syrup on the stove: Dissolve the sugar in room temperature water. Just note, it takes more stirring and time than dissolving it with heat on the stove, but both methods work.
Mini Ice Cubes for Lemonade
I love these mini, round ice cubes for lemonade. The ice cube trays come in a 3-pack with a small container and scoop.
Number of Lemons Needed to Make a Gallon of Lemonade
You may be wondering how many lemons you have to squeeze in order to produce enough to make a gallon of lemonade.
The recipe calls for 2 cups of fresh lemon juice. The exact number of lemons it takes to squeeze out that much juice, depends on the size of the lemon and how juicy it is.
A good rule of thumb is, you need 6-8 lemons per gallon of lemonade. It took me 8 large lemons to make this batch.
I find that thinner-skinned lemons often contain more juice. Grab an extra lemon or two to garnish the drinks, if desired.
More Summer Drink Recipes
- 3-Minute Frosted Lemonade
- Frozen Raspberry Lemonade
- Starbucks Blended Strawberry Lemonade
- Homemade Raspberry Iced Tea
- Homemade Strawberry Iced Tea
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Gallon Homemade Lemonade
Freshly squeezed lemon juice is the star of the show in this homemade lemonade recipe which yields 1 gallon of lemonade. You only need 3 ingredients, including 6-8 lemons per gallon to make this big-batch lemonade.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 cups sugar
- 12 cups water, divided
Instructions
- Make simple syrup. Combine the sugar and 2 cups of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir until sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool while juicing the lemons.
- Juice the lemons. Roll lemons on counter to release all the juices. Slice in half horizontally and squeeze with a juicer. Strain or scoop out any seeds that get in the lemon juice.
- Make the lemonade. In a gallon pitcher or jug, combine simple syrup and lemon juice. Add in remaining 10 cups of cold water and stir to combine. Chill in refrigerator.
Notes
- To make lemonade that's more tart: Use the juice from an additional lemon, or reduce the amount of simple syrup.
- For stronger lemonade: Only add 8 cups of cold water (step 3) and give the lemonade a taste test. Add up to 2 more cups, if desired.
- For lemonade that's ready fast: Chill the cold water in an ice bath while preparing the syrup and lemon juice.
- For the juiciest lemons: Use room temperature lemons and roll them on the counter prior to squeezing.
- Instead of making simple syrup on the stove: Dissolve the sugar in room temperature water. Just note, it takes more stirring and time than dissolving it with heat on the stove, but both methods work.
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