Need a refreshing drink your kids can enjoy? Summer is here and soon enough, there will be dozens of lemonade stands on the street. For decades, people have been gulping down this popular sweet and tangy drink. Apart from the fact that it tastes great, lemonades are loaded with vitamin C that rejuvenates your skin and enhances your beauty.

Additionally, drinking warm lemon water offers countless health benefits that help you lose weight and stay fit. Here are a couple of easy homemade lemonade recipes you absolutely must try:

Classic Lemonade Recipe

Nothing ever beats the original. For the classic recipe, all you need are some lemons and some sugar. For an added bonus, get your kids to help out as well. Here’s the homemade lemonade recipes:

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 6 lemons
• 6 cups chilled water
• Ice

Method

• Juice the lemons, you should get about 1 cup of lemon. Rolling the lemons in your hand or on the counter before slicing it in half aids in the juicing process.
• In a large pitcher, combine the lemon juice, water, and sugar together. Stir well until the sugar has dissolved.
• Serve with loads of ice and lemon wedges if desired

Mint Lemonade

You can’t go wrong with mint. The versatile ingredient will turn any ordinary lemonade into a refreshing summer cooler. Ditch those alcoholic beverages and try out this amazing mint lemonade recipe.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup sugar (to make a simple syrup)
• 1 2/3 cups lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 tbsp. mint, (julienned)
• 1 lemon, thickly sliced
• Ice cubes
• Mint leaves and lemon wedges for garnishing

Method

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, add the sugar along with ¼ cup water.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, while stirring frequently until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Remove the mixture from the heat.
4. Allow it to rest until completely cool
5. Meanwhile, fill a large pitcher with tons of ice, 2 cups of water, mint leaves and lemon slices
6. Pour the sugar syrup
7. Stir the mixture well with a wooden spoon
8. Pour the lemonade in the serving glass
9. Garnish with lemon wedges and mint leaves
10. Enjoy!

Pink Lemonade

Need a delicious drink to serve at any summer celebration? Adding a bunch of raspberries to any old lemonade homemade recipe adds a tangy flavor, not to mention the distinct vivid pink color it gives that will captivate the attention friends and families. Here’s the simple recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 orange, sliced
• 6 oz. punnets raspberries
• 1 ½ lemons, sliced
• 300g caster sugar
• Tons of ice and mint leaves for garnishing

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan.
2. Pour over 350ml of cold water on top of the mixture
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring it occasionally
4. Set it aside to cool
5. Pour the mixture through a sieve, use a spoon to press down and extract all the juices
6. Use this syrup to make the lemonade. To serve, pour it onto the serving glass and top it up with water, along with loads of ice and mint leaves.
7. Enjoy!

Note: The left-over syrup can be bottled and stored in the fridge for about a week

Pink Lemonade Jell-O Shots

Who said that lemonade was only for kids? Jell-O shots are an amazing summer treat for serving guests at home and for nights out. To impress your friends and families, use the hollowed lemon slices as molds to serve the lemonade Jell-O shots in. Here’s the easy recipe:

Ingredients

Makes 24 slices

• 6 large lemons
• ¾ cup vodka
• ½ cup sugar
• ¾ cup cherry soda
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin, ¼-ounce
• ¾ cup pink lemonade

Method

1. To make the pink lemonade, simply follow the above-mentioned recipe of pink lemonade
2. Use a kitchen knife to halve the lemons, use a spoon or your fingers to gently scrap out the pulp and the white pit.
3. Place the rinds on a pan or inside muffin trays to prevent them from tipping over when you fill it with the mixture
4. Fill a small saucepan with ¾ cup of cold water
5. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water on top
6. Allow the water to completely absorb the gelatin, for about 2 minutes
7. Continue to whisk the mixture while bringing it to a boil, until the gelatin has completely dissolved
8. Remove the mixture from the oven
9. Transfer the mixture into a bowl
10. Stir in the cherry soda, vodka and pink lemonade, mixing everything well
11. Gently spoon the mixture into the rinds
12. Refrigerate overnight
13. Prior serving, carefully slice the lemons into 2 wedges
14. Serve and enjoy

Orange Lemonade

Makes 1 large pitcher serves 12

Want to enjoy a sweet glass of lemonade without adding too much sugar? Try making this some delicious sweet and tangy orange lemonade. Here’s the simple recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 ½ cups lemon juice (made from 8 lemons)
• 1 ½ cups orange juice (made from 5 oranges)
• 2 tbsp. grated lemon peel
• 2 tbsp. grated orange peel
• Water

Method

1. 1. Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan
   2. Cook the mixture over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally
   3. Allow the mixture to cool for a couple of minutes
   4. Add the lemon and orange juice to the cooled syrup

Cover the mixture and let it rest a room temperature for about aan hour

1. Use a sieve to strain syrup
2. Refrigerate for a couple of hours
3. To serve, fill the glasses or pitcher with equal amounts of water and syrup. Stir the mixture and serve chilled with tons of ice

Enjoy these easy homemade lemonade recipes to beat the heat and stay hydrated throughout the warm season.