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Lemonade

Lemonade is reminiscent of sultry afternoons and evenings spent on a screened-in porch in the days before air conditioning, when it was so hot no one wanted to move off the porch for anything more than a lemonade refill. This is my basic lemonade, which Bubby’s make lots of in the summer. You can make it a few days ahead and store it, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Pink lemonade gets its rosy color not from a chemist’s kit, but from fresh cranberry juice. Sweeten this ade with a light or heavy hand, depending upon your taste. One of the great things about homemade lemonade is that you can customize it to how much of a sweet tooth you or your guests have.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 2 1/2 quarts

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar (or less, to your taste)
2 cups hot water
6 cups cold water
2 cups fresh lemon juice

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the sugar and the hot water in a very large pot or pitcher. Stir briskly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool slightly.

    Step 2

    Stir in the cold water and the lemon juice, and mix very well.

    Step 3

    Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Serve in glasses over ice.

  2. Pink Lemonade Variation

    Step 4

    Stir 1/2 cup Fresh Cranberry Juice (page 240) into the cold lemonade and mix very well. Chill until serving time.

Bubby's Brunch Cookbook cover.
Bubby’s Brunch Cookbook by Ron Silver and Rosemary Black. Copyright © 2009 by Ron Silver and Rosemary Black. Published by Ballantine Books. All Rights Reserved.
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