Lemon Juice with Sugar (Printable Version)
Bright and tangy lemon juice blended with sugar and water for a crisp, refreshing drink.
# What You Need:
→ Main Ingredients
01 - juice of 2 large lemons (approximately 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice)
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
03 - 2 cups cold water
→ Optional Additions
04 - ice cubes, as desired
05 - lemon slices or fresh mint leaves for garnish
# How to Make It:
01 - Roll lemons firmly on a countertop to soften, then cut in half and juice to obtain about 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice.
02 - In a pitcher or large glass, combine fresh lemon juice with granulated sugar and stir until sugar is fully dissolved.
03 - Add cold water to the lemon and sugar mixture and stir thoroughly. Adjust sweetness or tartness as preferred.
04 - Fill serving glasses with ice if desired, pour the mixture over, and garnish with lemon slices or mint leaves.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It takes five minutes but tastes like you planned ahead and cared.
- You control the sweetness, so it's never cloying or that artificial-tasting store-bought version.
- Cold water, fresh lemon, a little sugar—that's it, and somehow it's more refreshing than anything else.
02 -
- Room-temperature lemon juice tastes noticeably sharper than juice that's been sitting; fresh is fresher, so make this drink shortly after juicing.
- If the sugar refuses to dissolve, warm a small splash of water first, dissolve the sugar in that, then add the rest of the cold water—no grit, perfect clarity.
- Always taste before serving to a group; everyone's lemon intensity tolerance is different, and you'll adjust faster by tasting than by guessing.
03 -
- Warm sugar dissolves faster than cold, so if you're using very cold water straight from the fridge, warming the glass or pitcher first prevents the sugar from sitting stubbornly at the bottom.
- A channel knife or vegetable peeler can make those lemon slices for garnish into something almost beautiful—thin, bright ribbons that float instead of sink.