When lemons are in season, it feels like everyone with a tree is handing you armfuls — and, to be fair, they make a regular appearance in my kitchen whatever the season. I use the zest (and juice) all the time: in dressings, baking, over roasted veg… a little zest perks things up like nothing else. What I don’t love? Waste.
So whenever I zest a lemon, I never chuck the rest. I just squeeze it, freeze the juice in an ice cube tray and before long there’s a stash of lemon cubes waiting in the freezer — perfect for homemade lemonade.
Not the syrupy kind, either. This one’s made with a touch of honey, no refined sugar. It’s zingy, refreshing and properly thirst-quenching — ideal on a warm day or when you just need a mood boost in a glass.
I love having a jug in the fridge. It’s fuss-free, easy to tweak to your preferred tartness and lovely with mint or a splash of sparkling water.
Ingredients – makes just over 1.3 litres:
- 1 cup / 250 ml lemon juice (defrosted if frozen)
- 4 cups / 1 litre cold water
- 1/3 cup / 80 ml honey
Homemade lemonade – let’s go:
- Juice the lemons, then strain the juice through a fine sieve to catch any pulp or pips. (If you don’t mind a few bits in your lemonade, you can skip this step.)
- Add the juice & honey to a blender and mix together until smooth. (I use a stick blender as it minimises cleaning.)
- Add the mixture and water into a jug & stir well.
- Serve over ice if you like (or warm it up to have on a cold day). That’s it!
- Keeps in the fridge for a couple of days.
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