Classic Lemonade Recipe (serves 6)

  • 5–6 large lemons (about 1 cup / 240ml of fresh juice)
  • 1 cup (200g) white sugar
  • 1 cup (240ml) water (for the simple syrup)
  • 4 cups (960ml) cold water (to dilute)
  • Ice and lemon slices to serve
  1. 1

    Make simple syrup

    Combine sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar fully dissolves — about 2–3 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Simple syrup blends into cold drinks perfectly; granulated sugar does not dissolve in cold liquid.

  2. 2

    Juice the lemons

    Roll lemons on the counter with firm pressure before cutting — this breaks down the membranes and yields significantly more juice. Cut in half and juice. You need about 1 cup. Strain to remove seeds and pulp if you prefer a clear lemonade.

  3. 3

    Combine and taste

    In a large jug, combine lemon juice, cooled simple syrup and 4 cups of cold water. Stir well. Taste and adjust — more water if too tart, more syrup if too sour, more lemon juice if too sweet. Everyone's preference is different.

  4. 4

    Chill and serve

    Refrigerate until cold or serve immediately over plenty of ice. Add lemon slices and mint leaves for presentation.

VariationsStrawberry lemonade: blend 1 cup strawberries, strain, add to the base. Mint lemonade: steep fresh mint in the warm simple syrup for 15 minutes before cooling. Sparkling lemonade: replace still water with sparkling water — add just before serving. Pink lemonade: add a splash of cranberry juice or a few drops of food colouring.

Make-Ahead Tips

The simple syrup keeps in the fridge for up to 1 month. The full lemonade mixture keeps for 3–4 days refrigerated. The lemon juice concentrates in flavour over time so you may want to adjust sweetness before serving from the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

About 5–6 medium lemons yield 1 cup of juice. Larger lemons yield more. Room temperature lemons give more juice than cold ones straight from the fridge — let them sit out for 30 minutes or microwave for 10 seconds before juicing.
Technically yes, but fresh lemon juice tastes dramatically better. Bottled juice often has a tinny, preserved taste. For the best lemonade, fresh lemons are worth the effort. If using bottled, start with 3/4 cup as it tends to be more concentrated.