Making your own tangy, thirst-quenching lemonade is a snap with this easy MinuteMaid copycat recipe for homemade lemonade concentrate.
Who-eeee! The heat has finally found its way Up North. We had a glorious, sunny weekend, with just a touch of sticky humidity before the storms rolled in. That’s perfect timing for rain on a long weekend, if you ask me. The 40 degree temperature fluctuations we’ve had lately are getting old. We really need several concurrent days of good weather.
See, a funny thing happened last week. While Bacon Slayer was doing his usual stalking of local real estate in search of our dream house, set atop rolling acres with a big red barn, he actually found an updated farm house on a smidgen of acreage with a big red barn! We toured the house with the Sons, and almost all of us fell in love with the 1883 charmer. All that was left to do was put in an offer, then start planning the seasonal menu for the pies that I would sell by the side of the road at the new homestead!
Well, that and maybe get our house ready for market so that we could afford to move into said dream house. Pesky details. I believe my thoughts on the matter were along the lines of it’s-perfect-let’s-do-it-holy-crap-we-have-to-get-our-house-picture-perfect-by-the-end-of-the-week-so-someone-doesn’t-steal-our-dream-house! Or something like that. Suffice it to say that the hamster in the wheel in my head was running like a professional marathoner, sprinting toward the finish line. Fresh paint, extra landscaping, as well as a ton of closet purging and organizing needed to happen, pronto!
The warm sunshine coupled with our Weekend DIY Warrior tendencies created a yearning for the kind of thirst-quenching refreshment that only icy cold homemade lemonade can satisfy. However, after 3 trips to various hardware stores for supplies, followed by two quick runs to the local grocer for food and snacks, I was not about to run back out for lemonade concentrate.
No need for another trip anyway. I can make my own homemade lemonade concentrate with just three simple ingredients in under 15 minutes!
It’s worth mentioning that the recipe makes twice the amount of homemade lemonade concentrate for about the cost of one frozen can. So, thirst-quenching satisfaction is at-the-ready and waiting in the refrigerator when the need arises.
By the way, we took another stroll through the farm house, without kiddos, and noticed a few things that might be a little more involved than we’re willing to tackle. Such things are common with a 130+ year old house. Now we have to take a little time-out to sit on the porch while sipping a little homemade lemonade, and discuss whether we want to tackle major new home projects during this season of our lives. Either way, our house is nearly done and ready to list when the right house does come along.
Here’s the recipe for the homemade lemonade concentrate.
♥♥♥
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 1 quart
Homemade Lemonade ConcentrateBright, tangy, thirst-quenching lemonade is a snap with this easy recipe for homemade lemonade concentrate.
10 minPrep Time
4 minCook Time
14 minTotal Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 C. granulated sugar
- 1 1/3 C. water
- 1 Tbs. minced fresh lemon zest (from 2 medium lemons)
- 1 1/3 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 8 medium lemons)
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat.
- Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar is completely melted. Remove from heat.
- Stir the lemon juice and zest into the simple syrup. Set the concentrate aside to cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, homemade lemon concentrate may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or frozen for up to two months.
To prepare lemonade using Homemade Lemonade Concentrate:- To make an individual serving, mix ¼ cup lemonade concentrate with ¾ cup cold water. Stir. Add ice, as desired.
- For 1 quart (4 individual servings,) combine 1 cup lemonade concentrate with 3 cups cold water. Stir. Add ice, as desired.
- To make a half gallon (8 individual servings,) stir 2 cups of lemonade concentrate with 6 cups of cold water. Add ice, as desired.
Notes
This recipe makes 1 quart of lemonade concentrate and 4 quarts (1 gallon) of homemade lemonade.
7.8.1.2136https://comfortablydomestic.com/2015/05/homemade-lemonade-concentrate/
Comfortably Domestic - 2016
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 1 quart
Bright, tangy, thirst-quenching lemonade is a snap with this easy recipe for homemade lemonade concentrate.
10 minPrep Time
4 minCook Time
14 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/3 C. granulated sugar
- 1 1/3 C. water
- 1 Tbs. minced fresh lemon zest (from 2 medium lemons)
- 1 1/3 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 8 medium lemons)
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat.
- Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar is completely melted. Remove from heat.
- Stir the lemon juice and zest into the simple syrup. Set the concentrate aside to cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, homemade lemon concentrate may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or frozen for up to two months.
- To make an individual serving, mix ¼ cup lemonade concentrate with ¾ cup cold water. Stir. Add ice, as desired.
- For 1 quart (4 individual servings,) combine 1 cup lemonade concentrate with 3 cups cold water. Stir. Add ice, as desired.
- To make a half gallon (8 individual servings,) stir 2 cups of lemonade concentrate with 6 cups of cold water. Add ice, as desired.
Notes
This recipe makes 1 quart of lemonade concentrate and 4 quarts (1 gallon) of homemade lemonade.
♥♥♥
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