What makes us all feel refreshed and hydrated on a hot summer day? A glass of chilled lemonade! It can be made in no time, and the best part, you ask? It only requires three ingredients. We couldn’t think of any other drink as convenient as lemonade, making it a perfect party drink.
Serving lemonade to your guests is never a bad idea, no matter the occasion. Everyone at your party would love to have a glass full of lemonade, and they would not be able to resist asking for refills. So let us tell you how you can beat the heat with a perfect summertime lemonade and a few tips if you want to serve it at a party.
What You’ll Need
As we said, you only need three ingredients to make perfect lemonade in the summer. However, you must know the right proportions of the ingredients. Otherwise, you won’t be able to give your lemonade the right taste. It will either be too sour or too sweet.
Here is what you will need:
Sugar Syrup
Using sugar syrup is the key to obtaining a uniform lemonade that doesn’t have any crystals. Blending sugar with lemon juice will make your lemonade sweet, but it won’t give it the uniformity it needs. The reason is that the granulated sugar does not dissolve easily when adding ice cubes to the blender.
Even professional bartenders prefer using sugar syrup in cocktails instead of blending it with the drink. So make sure you use sugar syrup instead of granulated sugar. It takes a little extra time, but it’s worth it.
Lemon
Fresh lemons are always the best if you wanna get that homemade, natural taste out of your lemonade. Home-grown lemons are an even superior choice. If they are not available, you can also use bottled lemon juice- just whatever suits you.
Ice Cubes
Ice cubes are what make your lemonade chilled and refreshing.
How do You Make a Perfect Lemonade
The idea of a ‘perfect’ lemonade is associated with uniformity and a proper balance of sweetness and sourness. It shouldn’t contain any crystals of sugar or seeds from lemons. Here are the steps you need to follow.
Prepare the Syrup
This step is chemistry in action. Heat equal amounts of sugar and water until sugar dissolves completely and a clear solution is obtained. It will be ready to use once it’s cooled down.
Squeeze Lemon Juice
Squeeze two cups of lemon juice using a lemon squeezer. Unfortunately, we can’t tell how many lemons it would take to get 2 cups of lemon juice as they vary significantly in size.
Mix with Water
The sugar syrup and lemon juice are now mixed with water. If you prefer sour lemonade, add less water; if you want it diluted, just add more water. Keep on tasting it until you get the right taste.
Decorate the Glass
Take a glass, dip its rim in lemon juice, and then granulated sugar. Next, put in two thin slices of lemon and pour in the lemon juice.
The glassware to serve your lemonade should be fancy to enhance its look. So serve this refreshing lemonade in fancy plastic drinkware and bring out its color even better. When served in pretty plastic party cups, this beautiful citrus drink elevates the looks of your party tables.
You can set up a lemonade table at your party and decorate it with citrus elements and some elegant disposable plastic glasses. If you are wondering where to get plastic cups that suit your party tables and make your drinks get served well, visit The Kaya Collections, where you can find disposable drinkware of the finest quality.
Recipe Guide
Here’s a list of ingredients and the steps you will need to follow to make a perfect lemonade.
Ingredients:
- Water (2 cups)
- Sugar (2 cups)
- Lemon juice (2 cups)
- Chilled water
- Ice cubes
Steps:
- Heat sugar in water until it dissolves completely. Set it aside to cool down.
- Squeeze lemon juice and strain it. You want clear, pure lemon juice for your lemonade.
- Mix it with sugar syrup.
- Now you have lemonade concentrate. Add water and ice to it. Here, you are free to add as much or as little water as you want to get its taste according to your taste.
- Serve it in a decorated glass with thin lemon slices and a couple of ice cubes.
- Enjoy!
Tips to Store Fresh
In case you don’t wanna make lemonade for a whole lot of people at an event, you can store it in the freezer. No, it won’t lose its taste- just follow these tips.
- Before adding water, you must store it when you mix lemon juice and sugar syrup.
- Use zip-lock bags to fill the lemon juice and syrup mixture.
- When you wanna use it, take it out of the freezer and thaw it. Pour in cold water, and you will be good to go.
Sugar-Free Lemonade
Sugar can be a concern for people susceptible to increased blood sugar levels or even those who prefer artificial sweeteners over sugar. So make sugar-free lemonade and enjoy this drink without risking your health.
Sugar-free lemonade can be made using artificial sweeteners like inulin, stevia, or xylitol. These artificial sweeteners work just fine and give the same taste as natural sugar.
You can also use honey for a sugar-free lemonade. Heat 2 cups of water and dissolve 2 cups of honey in it; the rest of the ingredients and steps are the same.
Nutritional Benefits of Lemonade
We are all aware of the magical nutritional properties of lemons. They go way beyond just treating dehydration and providing your body with energy. Lemons contain loads of vitamin C and potassium, providing numerous health benefits. In addition, the antioxidants in lemonade help keep your heart health in the best form.
When you get so many benefits from lemonade, why not make it at your next summer party and let everyone enjoy it?