Homemade Lemonade Concentrate

Stove Top - mix

Ingredients:

1-1/2 c white sugar
1 c water
8 lemons (1-1/2 c juice)

Directions:

In a saucepan, stir together 1½ cups of white sugar and 1 cup of water. Heat until the mixture boils and the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.

Meanwhile, juice 8 medium-sized lemons until you get 1½ cups of juice. You may need to strain your juice if you have pits or too much pulp. Once the sugar syrup has cooled a bit, add the juice, stir, and then put in a plastic container with a lid in the freezer. This is about 3 cups worth of concentrate. Freeze solid. Can be stored for up to 6 months.

On a hot sunny day when you feel like a lovely drink, defrost the concentrate. To make a big jug, mix the entire 3 cups of concentrate with 3 cups of water. Fill glasses ¾ full, and top with ice cubes or fizzy soda water. To make only one glass, combine equal parts concentrate with water, and keep the rest of the concentrate in the fridge for later.

Notes from source:

You can freeze raspberries, blueberries or cherries in ice cube trays to add color. Fill the trays halfway with water, put in the fruit (which will float), and freeze. Once solid, you can top up with additional water to cover the fruit, and freeze again.

Variations: Mix lemonade with cranberry juice and soda water ... mix equal parts iced tea with lemonade ... float a bit of rosemary in your lemonade ... mix lemon and orange juice to make the concentrate ... grate a bit of the peel into the concentrate to intensify the lemon-y flavor, and strain before serving ... add a shot of your favorite alcohol (tequila, vodka , or white rum)...

And congratulate yourself. You're not drinking a lemon-lime mix that is "10% real juice". You're drinking the real thing :)

source: One Roast Vegetable