Strawberry Lemonade

Homemade strawberry lemonade hits all the right notes: tart, sweet, and all-around refreshing. Freshly squeezed lemon juice teams up with juicy, ripe strawberries in the picture-perfect non-alcoholic summer drink, made to be sipped on chillin’ by the pool. If you’ve never made your own lemonade before, follow all of our top tips to make the most refreshing pitcher possible:

How to make strawberry lemonade:
First, you’re going to make simple syrup to sweeten our lemonade. All you need to do is combine equal parts sugar and water, then bring to a simmer over the stovetop till dissolved. Meanwhile, you’ll make your strawberry puree. Tip: Be sure to strain the strawberry puree, especially if you're not using a high-powered blender, as you'll get rid of any seeds or excess pulp that remain. Or, if you enjoy some fruity pulp, skip that step and make this an even easier recipe!

The last step is simply to combine your (cooled) simple syrup, strawberry puree, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and water. You're aiming for 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice—for us this took around 8 to 10 lemons, but this will vary depending on the size of yours lemons. Once combined, feel free to adjust according to your tastes! Add some more water if you prefer it more diluted, or more lemon juice to amp up the lemonade flavor. 

Top tips for making strawberry lemonade:
— If strawberries aren't really in season, you can even use defrosted frozen strawberries.
— Always use fresh lemon juice, avoid store-bought at all costs. That stuff usually comes with a bitter note, and will leave you with a slightly unpleasant aftertaste.
— Topping your drink with a sprig of mint adds nice brightness and pop to both flavor and look, but is totally optional! For real mint flavor to infuse into your drink, be sure to take the leaves and bruise them with your fingers before stirring into your drink to release all of that flavor. 

Made this lemonade? Let us know how it went in the comments below!