Have you ever wondered how to make lemonade? It seems like such a simple thing. Until you actually try to do it. Making lemonade from scratch is fantastic for a bunch of reasons.
First, it tastes incredible. There’s nothing like freshly squeezed juice from real lemons. Making your own also allows you to avoid the nasty chemicals and preservatives in store bought lemonade. However, the biggest reason I like to make homemade lemonade is to avoid the sugar in the store bought stuff.
Since the boys were little I’ve been making this homemade lemonade recipe with a mere three ingredients –lemons, stevia, and water. Recently, I’ve cut back on my intake of sweets. With summer heating up I’ve been making several pitchers of this sugar-free lemonade for myself and the boys each week. As a parent of teenagers who are increasingly on their own and free to make independent food choices I enjoy getting something healthy into them as often as possible!
Lemons are incredibly healthy and full of amazing phyto-nutrients. They are also a great source of Vitamin C, one of the most important antioxidants around. Further, lemon juice is very alkaline, balancing the pH of the body, and it is also incredibly helpful to the immune system.
How to Make Lemonade
Ingredients
- 2 quarts water
- 1 cup lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon stevia
Instructions
- In a large pitcher combine water, lemon juice, and stevia
- Serve over ice
- Garnish with herbs of your choice if desired
Equipment
For the best flavor result in this lemonade recipe be sure to use a brand of stevia that is of excellent quality. My preference is for the product linked in the recipe above. I cannot consistently find it at the grocery stores in my area, so I purchase it online. We like our lemonade pretty tart, so if this lemonade recipe is not sweet enough for you, feel free to add as much stevia as your heart desires!
If you really want to know how to make lemonade like a pro, you’ll need the handy dandy lemon juicer in the photo below. It’s fantastic for juicing lemons easily. To maximize juice output from the lemons I not only cut them in half but cut the tip off of each end of the lemon so that there are more areas for the juice to exit when I squeeze them.
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Homemade lemonade is the perfect low-carb treat for my family. What’s your favorite summer drink? How do you keep cool and cut down on your sugar intake? Do you avoid natural sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar? If you are looking for more low-carb paleo recipes that do not contain these sweeteners, check out my:
M Khan says
I want to get on the GrainFree diet as soon as possible?.
Please let me know what is the best bread maker that I should purchase. There are too many listed on Amazon
Kelly says
Hint. The cut side of the lemon (middle) should be facing the holes, not opposite.
http://barsupplies.com/citrus-press-p-1526.html
Susan says
I just bought the same lemon juicer tool…and made a pitcher of lemonade….I did not use a sweetener but added a handful of mint from my garden. Left it overnight for a great marriage of lemon and mint. Yum. Also, I use the juicer as you do but put the squeezed lemon back in again facing the other way and get a little more juice out.
Jen says
Any ideas on how to make this strawberry lemonade? I know that would be a bit around here….
Thanks!
jimlee says
Thank you for sharing your recipes with me. Jim Lee
Cheryl Spencer says
Just a note, the Stevia brand you link to seems to have changed its formulation recently. There are a number of negative reviews on Amazon like “PRODUCT FORMULA HAS CHANGED and is now disgusting” I am not sure how accurate this is, since I haven’t purchased this brand. But I though you should know that the bad reviews are out there.
kerragh says
You are right Cheryl. The same problem with KAL stevia. They have changed the formulation and the product is now harvested in China. It is also no longer “pure stevia” or “organic”. Looks like I will be crossing both off my list.
Judy says
This is where I get my Stevia.
http://herbaladvantage.com/showproducts.cfm?UUID=F21FCB10-3048-83DA-7A624CFA42D0F039.08202014&AID=1&CategoryID=1&Ltr=A-Z
Kathleen Miller says
Here’s the stevia we use. My daughter’s nutritionist/healer recommended it, as she knows the company’s owner and only uses it herself.
Kathleen Miller says
Oops! Forgot to post the link (duh!):
http://www.omicaorganics.com/store/products/liquid-stevia-plain-2oz.html
Christiana Hancox says
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes – I use them almost every day and refer people to your blog constantly.
I think you are supposed to put the lemon in the handy dandy tool the other way, so that the cut face of the lemon is against the holes. It seems counter-intuitive, but when you squeeze, the lemon turns inside out, and all the juice is extracted. I too, cut the tip off the lemon, so that the rounded shape of the tool sits more easily before squeezing! Anyway, that’s the way I use it, and can’t wait to try the recipe – having the lemons and the tool to hand.
Tina says
I make it by the glass several times a day. Keeping a lemon squeezer and a bowl of lemons on the counter along with a bottle of stevia, makes it convenient. 1 small lemon (or 2 key limes), juiced + 3 drops of stevia (I like mine not too sweet) and 16 oz water. Daily fun.
Catherine @ Chocolate and Vegetables says
A friend has a super productive lemon tree right now and keeps giving me his excess–I was just thinking it might be time to figure out lemonade!
Danielle @ Chits and Chats and Chocolate says
Thanks for these ratios! I make lemonade with these ingredients all the time, but I always add too much or too little stevia!