Our best lemonade recipe maximizes the bright flavor of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest, and adds just enough sweetness to temper its tartness. We muddled (or mashed together) one thinly sliced lemon with sugar to sweeten the lemonade. In this process, the sugar crystals absorb the intense flavor of the oils in the lemon peel and bring out the lemon’s flavor, making for a lemonade recipe that can cool down any summer day.
Best Lemonade
Serves 6 to 8
1 large lemon, sliced thin, ends discarded
1 1/2 cups sugar
7 cups cold water
2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 12 lemons)
Ice (for serving)
1. Using potato masher, mash lemon slices and sugar in a deep bowl until slices release their juice and sugar begins to dissolve. Stir in water and lemon juice until sugar completely dissolves. Strain out lemon slices and chill or pour over ice before serving.
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