Homemade Lemonade

The important thing to remember about lemonade is to make it from scratch . . . because "It's Lauren, of Course!"

Paper straws are both festive and fashionable these days as we move away from plastics.

Is there anything better? I, for one, cannot stomach the powdered mix variety. Not only is it saccharine sweet, but it tastes as manufactured as it is with little trace of real lemon flavor and lots of reminders how unhealthy it is. Homemade lemonade is three simple ingredients: lemons, sugar, and water. Remember: it's about technique, not torture. Understand the methods and pick the one that satisfies your needs and tastes. Homemade lemonade is better tasting, better for you, and you'll likely derive a lot more joy from it...you deserve it!

Equipment: cutting board; chef’s knife; reamer or fork; wet measuring cup; dry measuring cup; small strainer; wooden spoon; small saucepan with lid; large glass pitcher

Ingredients: 2 cups sugar plus 1 cup water 8 cups cold water

1 cup fresh lemon juice (from approximately 5-7 lemons)

(1 small bunch rosemary, thyme, mint, or basil, plus extra sprigs for garnish)

(¼ cup sliced fresh ginger)

(2 cups diced peaches) (1 pint fresh berries) 1. In a small saucepan, cook the 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat to cool. If making a flavored simple syrup, stir in the herbs/spices/fruit and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Remove from the heat and let it steep for 15-20 minutes. Remove the lid, let the syrup cool slightly, then strain and chill the syrup.*

2. Combine the 8 cups cold water and lemon juice in a large pitcher. Stir in the syrup.

3. Serve the lemonade over ice and garnish with a lemon slice and with whatever your syrup is flavored (herb sprig, peach slice, or berry).

Makes 6-8 servings.

Make a Flavored Simple Syrup to Spice Things Up!

“Oh, how I love this! Steeping rosemary, thyme, basil, ginger, etc. in the simple syrup to make herbed/spiced lemonade is as elegant as it is delectable. It even makes cocktails a breeze (doesn't a rosemary lemonade spiked with vodka sound fantastic? It is!). You can garnish the lemonade with the herb in the syrup, and that just made your presentation professional and foolproof. A win every time!

*If you make a fruit syrup, save the fruit once you strain the liquid for the lemonade. That jammy, sugary fruit can be mashed and used in any number of applications from flavored cream cheese and muffins to homemade "pop tarts" and thumbprint cookies.