Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
Follow our easy, step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe to learn how to make our best fresh squeezed Lemonade. We also review the Zulay Kitchen Professional Citrus Juicer and share our results. Printable recipe included.
…
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Recipe, one of our favorite drinks to cool down with on a hot summer day in the South. Don’t you like the jar? Smile.
…
Disclaimer: Zulay Kitchens provided me with one of their Zulay Professional Citrus Juicers to test and review. All comments are strictly my own. Links to their Amazon page and their own website are included. I do not receive any financial compensation when you click these links, but I hope you’ll check them out. Thank you in advance.
…
“When life hands you lemons, make lemonade,” as the old saying goes. And, when Zulay Kitchens offers you one of their Professional Citrus Juicers to test and review, you make LOTS of lemonade. Fresh Squeezed Lemonade that is.
Throughout the biggest part of the year, the North Carolina State Fairgrounds has a large Flea Market every weekend. They do miss about a month or so when it’s time for the actual fair.
I always enjoyed going to the flea market, and even sold stuff there off and on for a year or two. I’ve been there when it was so cold you could hardly stand it, and days when it was so hot you could hardly stand it.
During the summer months, one of my favorites at the Flea Market and even at the Fair has always been getting to enjoy a cup of cold Fresh Squeezed Lemonade. There were always several booths and food carts that offered to make you a cup of the sweet citrus favorite, fresh and right on the spot.
I’d stand and watch as they sliced a lemon into halves, then placed a half on a manual juice squeezer to get every bit of juice out of that lemon. Then, they would pour just a small amount of what I later learned was simple syrup (water and sugar) into the cup. They’d add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and then fill the cup with ice and cold water. Taking another plastic cup, they would make a shaker out of the two cups and give it a few shakes to mix everything together. They’d hand me the cup of Lemonade, and I’d hand them about $2.50 of my money. Smile.
But, on a really hot day, Fresh Squeezed Lemonade was a welcome thirst quencher. It always hit the spot.
Recently, Zulay Kitchen, a USA based company, offered to send me one of their Professional Citrus Juicers to test and review here on Taste of Southern. It was a citrus juicer like the ones those folks at the fair and flea markets use.
Admittedly, it may be a bit large for the average home kitchen, but I wasn’t going to let that deter me from trying it out. Afterall, I do love that Fresh Squeezed Lemonade when I can get it. Making it at home, whenever and however I wanted it, sounded like a winner to me. Smile.
So, come along as we test out and review the Zulay Professional Citrus Juicer and use it to make some of my favorite Fresh Squeezed Lemonade. This is the way I like my lemonade. You can certainly adjust the sugar and lemon juice ratio to meet your own personal taste preferences. But, either way you make it, you’re going to need some freshly squeezed lemons.
Zulay Kitchens offers various handheld juicers that are much smaller if that’s what you need. I’ll provide some links for you to check those out and all the other kitchen type products that they offer. I hope you’ll visit with them for a bit.
Ready to make some great tasting Lemonade? Alright then, let’s head on out to the kitchen, and let’s get SQUEEZING.
…
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, made from scratch. You’ll need these ingredients.
…
You’ll also need a way to get all that juice out of your lemons. You have many choices, but today, we’ll take a look at this Professional Citrus Juicer from Zulay Kitchen.
This thing is awesome. Let’s just go ahead and share that upfront. It may be a bit much for the average home cook, but it sure is fun to work with. Especially if you enjoy fresh squeezed orange juice, lemon juice, grapefruit juice and more.
Here are the links I mentioned so you can check out more info on the juicer and their other products.
This is the Amazon link for the exact Red Juicer that I have: Zulay Red Professional Citrus Juicer
This link is to all their products: Zulay Kitchen
Thanks for clicking the links and taking a look.
…
This is obviously intended to do some hard work and last a long time. I was impressed with it straight out of the box. This closeup of the top of the juicer gives you a look at how well it’s made. It measures about 11in x 7in x 18in in size and weighs right at 15lbs.
Its heavy and sturdy because it’s made from cast iron and coated in black, orange, or red colors. I chose the red to match my KitchenAid mixer. So cool. They even offer a chrome, gold or copper version.
…
This is the strainer cup, where the work takes place. Just place half a lemon or orange on top of the pyramid shaped strainer and pull down on the handle. The handle lowers the top of the strainer cup down on the fruit, and a little light pressure squeezes all of the juice out for you.
…
The bottom portion of the strainer is easily removed for cleaning. You might can see the notch around the part above that has the holes in it. You place the strainer in the bottom of the cup, give it a slight turn, and it’s locked in place and ready to go. The holes allow the juice to drain through while keeping the seeds and pulp in the cup. This part is made of stainless steel.
…
The large base has rubber feet on the bottom to keep from messing up your counter top. They help hold the juicer in place while the base keeps everything stable while you’re squeezing the lemons.
Zulay Kitchen is a family owned company right here in the great USA. AND, and this is a really awesome part too, they offer a LIFETIME Money Back Guarantee on the juicer and their other products. What more could you ask for?
…
Okay, let’s make some fresh squeezed Lemonade with our juicer. Just slice your lemons in half.
…
Lift the handle, place the cut half of lemon on top of the strainer. The cup is about five inches in diameter. Plenty of room for even grapefruit.
…
Pull down on the handle. The leverage on this thing really makes squeezing these lemons so easy. It’s like it wants to do the work for you. If you look close, on the left, you’ll see that black rubber piece. That’s how far the handle will close down. It’s rubber, but make sure you keep your fingers clear of that part, so you don’t close the handle on your fingers. It also protects the finish on your juicer as the handle rests against it while it’s closed. Did I mention how easy it is to squeeze the juice from the lemon?
…
Lift the handle back up and lock it into its holding open position. The lemon has been flattened and all the juice squeezed out of it. That’s it, just that quick and easy. Smile.
…
A cup underneath catches the juice. I was able to get my 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup under the bottom to catch the juice.
I placed the juicer in my sink so I could get better pictures of it for you. I did have to hold the base a time or two while pressing down on the handle to keep it from trying to tip forward. It wasn’t a problem but thought I’d mention it. Also, I think it would be great if the juicer came with a plastic or stainless steel cup shaped more like the horseshoe inside shape of the base. Something like that would slip right in place to catch the juice. Again, this wasn’t a problem. I didn’t miss a drop with my measuring cup in place. Just a thought.
…
With the lemon juice ready, let’s make a simple syrup right in our pitcher. This is a half gallon sized pitcher that I’m using. In it, I added one cup of granulated sugar.
…
Then, I added one cup of HOT TAP WATER. Get it as hot as you can, then add it to the sugar.
…
Stir the water and sugar together until the sugar is fully dissolved.
I know most recipes call for boiling this simple syrup on the stove top, but why mess up a pot when you don’t need to? All you need is water hot enough to dissolve the sugar. Took me about 30 seconds, if that long, to get the sugar dissolved.
…
Add the lemon juice.
For the record, I squeezed four large lemons with this juicer. I took a photo of the juice but for reasons unknown, it was too blurry for me to use here. I did end up with just a smidgen over one full cup of lemon juice.
I added 3/4ths cup of the lemon juice to the simple syrup in the pitcher.
…
Then, add five more cups of COLD water to the pitcher.
…
Give it a good stir. You’ve made Fresh Squeezed Lemonade. How easy was that?
This Zulay Kitchen Citrus Juicer made it super easy. Smile.
Question for you: How do you like your lemonade? Sweet, or Tart?
Do you prefer a sweeter taste of sugar, or do you like a more tart taste of lemon?
…
Just so you know, I did squeeze three oranges just to test the Citrus Juicer out. It was just as quick and easy to do as the lemons were. Don’t you just love fresh squeezed orange juice with breakfast to start your day?
Maybe once oranges become a bit more plentiful (and cheaper) we’ll make some Orangeade for you as well. Stay tuned.
And, just think about all the great things you can make with the various juices. Lemon Pies, Key Lime Pies, Orange Sherbets, Lemon Pound Cakes, and the list goes on and on. You’ll have the juicer to do them all. Smile.
…
Clean up for the Zulay Professional Citrus Juicer was super simple too. Just lift the strainer and bottom of the strainer cup out of the juicer, then wash them with some hot soapy water. Only two small pieces to actually wash and both of those are dishwasher safe.
I took a damp paper towel and wiped under the top part of the squeezer section and then just wiped down the rest of the juicer. Whew, even though it was easy, I’m ready for a glass of Lemonade. How about you?
…
Enjoy!
…
With temperatures at 98-100F degrees here in the South for the past few days, this Zulay Citrus Juicer couldn’t have arrived at a better time. I’ve already placed more lemons on my shopping list. Smile
I’ve always enjoyed Lemonade as mentioned at the beginning of this post, but I think I’ll be enjoying much more of it throughout the rest of the summer now that I have this awesome juicer.
A very special THANK YOU to the folks at Zulay Kitchen for providing the juicer and letting me review it in my own words. I love it!!!
…
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Half Gallon
Description
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade is a great thirst quencher when days get really hot. We test and review the Zulay Professional Citrus Juicer and make our favorite Southern Lemonade with this recipe.
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup hot water
3/4 cup lemon juice
5 cups cold water
Instructions
Place sugar in half gallon sized pitcher.
Add hot water.
Stir well until sugar is fully dissolved.
Cut and squeeze the lemons to extract juice.
Add lemon juice to simple syrup in the pitcher.
Add cold water.
Stir again until fully combined.
Chill prior to serving. Ice is optional.
Enjoy!
Notes
This is the way I like my Lemonade. You might prefer something more tart, or more sweet. Maybe even less tart, or less sweet. Keep a recipe of your combinations of sugar syrup and lemon juice to determine how you and your family like your fresh squeezed lemonade the best. Make it your own!
Keywords: Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, lemonade from scratch, Zulay, Citrus Juicer, simple syrup
Your Comments:
Have you ever made Fresh Squeezed Lemonade? What memories do you have of Lemonade or juicing lemons?
Share your Comments with us. It will only take a minute or two for you to leave your comments in the section below.
Just remember, all comments are moderated. That just means that I personally read each and everyone before they are approved for viewing on our family friendly website. Thank you in advance for sharing.
Sign Up For Our Free Newsletter:
While you’re here, be sure to sign up for our totally FREE NEWSLETTER. I’ll send you an Email every once in awhile to remind you when I post a new recipe, or when anything else of importance is going on around Taste of Southern. It’s totally free, and super easy to sign up. And, should you ever decide that you are no longer interested, it’s even quicker to unsubscribe. How cool is that? I’ll be looking forward to seeing you add your name to our list. The signup box is below and you’ll also find one in the top right hand corner of each page. I hope you’ll do it today.
Be Blessed!!!
Steve
..
You might also like this: Eagle Brand Lemon Cream Pie
Or this: Citrus Marmalade
Maybe this one: Southern Peach Cobbler
.
Category: Misc, Reviews-News
Love lemonade all year long! I’ve noticed southerners like a lot more sugar than we northerners. It must be due to sugar costing so much in the grocery store and it was more plentiful in the south. Just my two cents. Love your blog, Steve, keep up the good work.
Sweet and tart. I too love the Chick-fi-let version.
Steve, I like the taste of the sweet not to sweet with a good pucker tart end note.
★★★★★
I think I am still looking for that perfect balance of sugar, water and lemon juice. I can’t wait to try your recipe, maybe it will be the magic one.
I definitely like mine on the tart side. There is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than cold lemonade. Thanks for all your great recipes.
I prefer my lemonade on the sweeter side, much like my sweet tea. I also like to make it strong so when the ice melts it doesn’t weaken the taste too much. Our “feels like” temp was close to 110 today! That’ll melt your ice! Blessings!
I think your amount of sugar is perfect. I was raised on southern sweet tea as well. When my doctor says I should cut back on the sugar, I tell him I’ll die happy.
Hi Steve,
I prefer my lemonade to have a balance of sweet and tart, which is really hard to achieve. I guess if I had to make a choice I would be leaning to the tart side.
Your new juicer looks awesome. I still have one of those messy plastic things. Time to upgrade! ;-}
Your recipe gets a five from me!
★★★★★
Sweet—-just like Steve! Love your newsletter and recipes!
I like my lemonade mostly sweet. A little tartness is okay but not too much! I enjoy your newsletters and your stories.
★★★★★
I love lemon anything. When it comes to lemonade, I like it more sweet than tart. I enjoy your homey newsletter and down-to-earth, authentic Southern recipes. Thanks for brightening Mondays.
Good day. I prefer my lemonade to be on the tart side. I don’t care for anything sweet. I even drink my tea unsweetened.
I do enjoy your recipes. Keep them coming, please. I just adjust the sugar content.
The sweeter the better.
Good day,Steve
I prefer my lemonade on the sweeter side without drowning out the lemon.
I like my lemonade on the sweeter side
I like my lemonade a little on the tart side…Too much sugar and you’ve got syrup, instead of lemonade.
★★★★★
Sweet.
★
I like my lemonade sweet!
Gotta be TART so there’s no doubting it’s LEMONade!
★★★★
Tart with a shot of bourbon….. smile
★★★★★
Personally, I love lemonade with a nice tartness to it. I find that is the best thirst quenching drink when you are in the midst of the dog days of summer. Always reminds me of when I was young and the fireflies were out at night, summer just seemed like it would last forever❤️.
Hi Steve, I prefer my lemonade sweet with a bit of tartness in it.
I like mine tart with a little bit of sweet.
I like my Lemonade with just the right amount of sugar to compliment the tart of the Lemons, If I could get Chick-fil-A recipe on there mixture for Lemonade, I would one Happy Man…
I prefer slightly tart lemonade. It’s one of my favorite summer drinks! Really, I love about anything with lemons!
★★★★
Lemonade isn’t lemonade if it isn’t tart. Add just enough sugar to take the edge off of the lemon and you’ve got the perfect lemonade!
★★★★★
I like my lemonade more tart. At the farmers market in Raleigh they make the best lemonade and orangeade always with fresh lemons and oranges, mix both together, so good!!
★★★★★
Yep more sweet is for me.
I prefer my lemonade a little more on the tart side. I never squeeze my own lemons, but I’m sure this recipe would be delicious.
On the tart side. I love lemon.
★★★★★
Growing up, both the tea and lemonade was sweet as can be! Loved it! But now I seem to have an internal limit on how sweet is too sweet! I think because I no longer use much sugar in general- a little bit goes a long way with me now. I stopped drinking pop about 20 years ago-and now can’t stand it. My coffee is now black when it too used to be loaded down. I drink a lot of water- always have though-even as a kid I sported a tall glass bottom copper mug of water with me wherever I went! Long before it was a thing! Dr constantly checked me for diabetes-cause drinking all that water was not considered normal back then! Funny how times have changed! Thank you for your newsletter-it really makes my day-My Family, The people I lived these memories with have all passed away-your updates allow me to reminisce and that is such a nice gift!
Hmmm. I’m in the middle. I prefer not to have sweet and I prefer not to have tart.♀️
★★★★★
Tart! Tart! Tart! Sweet lemonade just makes me thirstier….
I’m straddling the fence…sweet/tart balanced.
I prefer a balance but would lean more on the tart side
I prefer the perfect balance of tart and sweet. If it’s too sweet, then the lemonade is not thirst-quenching and if it’s too tart, then it would be hard to drink it.
I prefer my lemonade on the sweet side. Your newsletter with all the tobacco memories are so true. I grew up working in tobacco too. It was hard work, tobacco would be wet first thing in the morning and the sun would come out, then be so hot. We also primed by hand and initially used a mule to pull the tobacco sled. I come from a family of 10 kids and we all worked in the fields. We had to get up around 4 am and be in the field as soon as light enough to see to get that barn of tobacco pulled. Those were the days of family togetherness. I share your memories.
I like a light sweetness, with a good tart lemon taste.
Tart for me!
★★★★★
Lemonade has to be SWEET just like tea. If you’re going to the trouble to make fresh…do it right with sweet!
Sweet for me!
★★★★★
I prefer mine a little on the sweet side
I prefer tart lemonade. Make all my lemon pies on the tart side.
I like it sweet! 🙂 Made this just after reading your newsletter last week… Delicious!! I made it with Meyer lemons and raw sugar, exactly according to recipe proportions. Was the most amazing lemonade I’ve ever tasted! Lol 😀 YUM!
★★★★★
I prefer a balance between tart and sweet, but if I were to err it would be on the sweet side.
I love lemonade. Being a NC gal I like my sugar water with a side of lemon! So sweet, sweet, is the way to go. Love the lemon squeezing contraption but I wouldn’t have the space to store it. Keep up the good work!
★★★★★
I like my lemonade a little on the tart side. Just a bit of a pucker.
I love my lemonade with lots of sugar. Never been a fan of sour anything.
This recipe is exactly what my Mother used to make and now I make. The sweet/tart ratio is perfect in this recipe. I wouldn’t change it a bit.
★★★★★
I prefer my lemonade on the tart side. Thanks for the review – I need to check into getting myself a juicer.
I am with you as to liking lemonade sweet. My Mom used to make sweet lemonade for Sunday lunch. She had a special pitcher she would use, which I still treasure for the memory of all those wonderful Sunday meals.
I love sweet lemonade!!
when i was 13, on a trip from columbus, ga. down “the river” to the gulf, we would stop at small towns along the way. the first thing we did was find a local drug store. they all had soda fountains back then with the best cold fresh squeezed lemonade. not too tart, not too sweet, just the way i like it.
I like my lemonade more tart than sweet. Love this juicer!
I prefer my lemonade a little on the tart side.
★★★★★
Hi Steve,
I’m answering the lemonade question… not too sweet but then again, not too tart. I’ve always been a medium kind of girl. Best of both worlds. Smile.
More sugar for me:) I need to do this for my children before they go back to school.
I want that juicer. So tired of grinding away with my vintage glass model, and my old hands don’t work so well anymore.
I am also an advocate giving my lemons and limes of a brief stint in the microwave before squeezing.
★★★★★
Hi CJ, It really is a nice juicer. I’m thankful for the opportunity to receive one. I have the old glass juicer as well and have used one for many years. Guess I just need to put it aside now. Smile. Thank you for your comments. I greatly appreciate your visits and your support. I hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Freshly made lemonade is the only way to go. The plastic lemons or bottled juice they sell in the store gives the lemonade an artificial taste. I roll my lemons on the counter squeezing genty to release the juice before cutting them in half and I use an electric citrus juicer. I will be trying your recipe soon. Thank you!
Hi Fanica, I always rolled my lemons too, but I didn’t see any difference when using this juicer. It just squeezes it all out anyway. Smile. And YES, there is a difference in taste between the fresh lemons and just the bottled juice. Thank you for sharing your comments with us today. I appreciate your visits and hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I do like the juicer, but I prefer to stab a small hole in the bottom side near the”round” point and place the lemon in a measuring cup and microwave for 25-30 seconds. Remove from microwave and the cup. Squeeze into the pitcher you plan on using, and repeat with the other lemons. I find that I get well over half a gain of the amount of juice when I do this. Hope you will try this yourself. Deanna Wrenn
Hi Deanna, The juicer is indeed very nice. I’ve been having fun working with it. I use to always roll my lemons on the counter top to soften them up before slicing them to get the juice. And, I’ve tried placing them in the microwave for a few seconds, but not exactly the way you described. You’ve just got to do what works for you. With the juicer, I just cut the lemons in half and squeeze. It worked great. I know it’s not something most folks would have in their kitchen because of it’s size, unless you have lemon and orange trees growing in your backyard. Smile. I’m just thinking now that maybe I should open up a lemonade stand out by the sidewalk. Smile. Thank you for sharing your comments. I appreciate your visits and all of your support of our recipes. I hope you’ll continue to visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Steve, This recipe brings back so many memories of my Mother making lemonade in the summer. She used the old fashioned Federal green depression glass juicer/reamer. We kids helped her by reaming the lemons and boy was that fun !! Even more fun was to drink the delicious fresh lemonade we had just helped to make. Thank you for sharing this recipe and as always be blessed.
★★★★★
Hi Kathryn, Thank you for sharing your memories of making lemonade. I have an old glass juicer, but not the green one you mention. Smile. Is it still in the family by any chance? I appreciate you sharing your memories of making lemonade with us. I appreciate your visits and your support and do hop you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Steve, Thank you for your response. Yes, the old Federal green depression glass juicer is in my possession. Love your Southern recipes and hope you continue for a long time.
★★★★★