Homemade Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

Homemade Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

It has been unusually hot in my little corner.  Temperatures in the upper 90s (°F) with heat index of 107°!!  So, I decided to step outside to my garden and see if Mother Nature had gifted us with lemons.  Yes! Fresh lemons for lemonade!

Want the recipe? Here you go!

Before you begin… Give your lemons a roll.  If they seem hard, roll them on a cutting board or kitchen counter while pressing down.  This will soften your lemons and make them easier to juice.  You can also place your lemons in a bowl filled with hot tap water before rolling.   

Ingredients (makes 8 servings aproximately):

10 oz. of fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 cup (8 oz.) of water

1 cup (8 oz.) of sugar

4-5 cups of cold water

5 strawberries (per serving)

Ice

Magic Bullet or blender (if you want the frozen version)

Procedure:

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves.  Do not stir!  (You can get away with stirring it once, but if you don't want it to caramelize, do not stir.)  Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.  I placed it in the freezer.  

While the sugar water is heating, squeeze the juice of your lemons over a measuring cup.  You’ll need 10 ounces of lemon juice.  Depending on the size of your lemons, you might need to squeeze the juice from 10 to 15 lemons.   Hint: Get the kids to help.  My 6 year old niece begs to squeeze the lemons.

Grab a pitcher and combine the lemon juice, cooled sugar water and 4 cups of cold water.  While stirring, taste your lemonade for tartness.  If it’s too tart, add 1 more cup of water in ½ a cup increments, until you find the perfect taste.  Voila! You have just made lemonade!

Now grab your Magic Bullet (or blender) and place some ice and 5 strawberries in a tall mug.  I filled my mug about ¾ full of ice before adding the lemonade.  Add your lemonade, and strawberries, and using the cross blade, blend until the ice has been completely crushed and the strawberries have been completely combined.  Serve in a pretty glass and enjoy!

You can also freeze the lemon juice in an ice cube tray and use it instead of ice for a refreshing twist to water, soda, or even to add to your lemonade glass to keep it from watering down.  

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, here’s a picture of my beautiful lemon tree!

Enjoy your lemonade.  Enjoy the Summer.  And thanks for visiting my little corner!