Delicious, refreshing strawberry lemonade made with spring water, fresh lemons, strawberries, and strawberry puree-infused syrup. The perfect drink to quench your thirst after a jog around the park on a hot summer day, just like my Easy Homemade Lemonade Recipe
Hey guys, so the summer is over, but I still want to share one last refreshing drink with you since it’s still a little hot outside in most parts of the country. This drink is perfect for picnics at the park with family, social gatherings, parties, and as a drink for dinner.
So you have to give it a shot. It’s delicious and refreshing. It’s sweet and made with fresh strawberries and lemons and a puree-infused strawberry syrup that gives it a whole other level of deliciousness.
My relationship with strawberry lemonade 🙂
You may find this surprising, but I wasn’t always the biggest fan of strawberry lemonade, which may surprise you, seeing as how much I love strawberry lemonade. I think what I hated was how bitter some Lemonade is.
I truly fell in love with lemonade when I tasted my Aunt Angie’s lemonade; it was on the sweeter side and not as bitter as your typical lemonade. It had the perfect balance of sugar and lemon juice and wasn’t so bitter it made me twist my face. Haha!
If lemonade does that to you, I probably won’t like it very much. I like lemonade with a mild lemon flavor. Her lemonade tastes very similar to how Tina, a former friend of mine I call Auntie, made her lemonade. I mentioned Tina in my lemonade recipe.
So I decided to create my own lemonade recipe, which they sort of inspired, and later, I finally came across strawberry lemonade that I absolutely fell in love with. Guess where it came from? Chi-Fila! Haha
I remember the first time I tried it! My mom and I stopped by Chic-Fila after leaving Target one day, and I think she bought a meal for someone—I can’t remember. Anyway, I got thirsty, and she offered me the strawberry lemonade she had bought for them.
After the first sip, I fell in love. It’s so refreshing and delicious! You can see they add the flesh from the lemonade, and the strawberry syrup they use is rich and sweet. Now, every time I order from there, I get one.
The funniest thing is that I look forward to drinking the strawberry lemonade more than eating the hot chicken sandwich, chicken tenders, and waffle fries I always buy. So yes, you can thank Chi-Fila for this recipe.
Pink vs Strawberry Lemonade
Now one last thing, before I dive into the important stuff. Since this is a lemonade recipe, this is the perfect time for me to address this confusion some people have. PINK and STRAWBERRY lemonade have different meanings.
- Strawberry lemonade: Is lemonade that’s ALWAYS made with strawberries and or strawberry flavoring like strawberry syrup, which is why it’s called strawberry lemonade.
- Pink lemonade: Is sometimes just regular lemonade made with pink food coloring and sometimes it is made with both pink food coloring and strawberry flavoring; You won’t know until you taste it.
What to love about this recipe:
- Easy to make: All you do is blend the strawberries with water to create the strawberry juice, squeeze the lemon juice from the lemons, heat the strawberry juice, and combine everything.
- It’s a fan favorite. I don’t know too many people who don’t like strawberry lemonade, so it’s definitely a drink you won’t have to worry about people not drinking at any social gathering you make it for.
- Quick: It’s not only easy to make but also doesn’t take very long. It’s a quick recipe, and we all love making something that’s not just good but non-laborious.
What you need:
- Lemons: You need lemons, obviously, because you can’t make lemonade without them. Try to find seedless lemons if you can.
- Strawberries: You can use fresh or frozen strawberries. I prefer Driscoll’s but use your favorite.
- Strawberry Syrup: Strawberry syrup is needed to sweeten the drink. I do not want to overdo the sugar, so I replace some of it with syrup, which also gives the drink a rich strawberry flavor. I love strawberry puree-infused syrup that comes in a white bottle for a simple squeeze.
- White sugar: Use a good brand of white sugar like Domino’s. Since we’re only using a few ingredients, we have to make sure everyone is of good quality. The fewer ingredients you use, the more you taste them.
- Spring water: Use your favorite distilled spring water. Do not, and I repeat, do not use spigot water. It will reduce the quality of the strawberry lemonade.
Tools:
- Pitcher: Since we’re making a lot of strawberry lemonade, use a large gallon-size pitcher. Try to find one with a slotted lid for easy serving.
- Knife: You’ll need a sharp knife to slice the strawberries and lemons in half
- Citrus Juicer: A citrus juicer makes extracting the juice from lemons very easy, and you can get the most out of your lemons using a citrus juicer.
- Blender: You’ll need a blender to blend the strawberries to make the strawberry juice.
- Saucepan: Have a saucepan on deck to simmer the strawberry juice.
- Big Spoon: You’ll need a big spoon to combine and stir everything in.
Cleaning and preparing the fruit
Cleaning fruit is pretty simple, and you have several options. You can use water and baking soda, water and vinegar, or just water. You can even clean the fruit with salt and lemon juice if you want, but I prefer using baking soda and water or baking soda + vinegar and water.
Let the fruit soak for at least 10-20 minutes, then rub it with your hands. When you’re done, give it a nice rinse. Some may ask why you need to wash the lemons since we’re not using the peelings but the juice inside.
Well, if you don’t wash the exterior, dirt, and bacteria can transfer from the knife to the juice, so scrubbing the exterior is important. Also, if there are any bruised areas on the fruit, remove them.
How to make strawberry Lemonade
Make Strawberry Juice
- Slice off the green leafy part of the strawberries, referred to as the Hull or Calyx, and discard it.
- Add your strawberries to a blender with one qt of water, and blend until you create strawberry juice.
- Pour the strawberry juice through a strainer to remove any seeds and flesh.
- Then, place the pot over high heat and boil for 10 minutes; as it boils, scoop out the foam rising to the top.
- After you remove the foam, let it chill for a few minutes…
Extract juice from lemons
- Meanwhile, slice the lemons in half and then use a citrus juicer to extract the lemon juice.
- If you’re using lemons with seeds, make sure to remove and discard them.
- Keep the little pieces of lemon flesh and a few of the lemon peelings.
Combine everything
- The first step in the combining process is to add the lemon juice, sugar, and strawberry syrup to the pitcher.
- Then, you’ll add the strawberry juice and the spring water and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- If you decide to add peelings, use just three and slice them into small pieces of 6.
- Add the pitcher to the refrigerator and let it chill for a few hours.
Tips for best results:
- Use peelings: Remember my Delicious Lemonade Recipe, where I discussed the importance of adding the peelings? Well, dont add too many because you want a balanced flavor of strawberry and lemon.
- Make ahead of time: Make this 8 hours before you plan on serving it. So, if you’re making this for a family dinner, make it before work. The more time you give all the ingredients to marry, the better it will taste.
Other beverages you might like
- The Best Homemade Lemonade Recipe
- The Best Raspberry Iced Tea Recipe
- The Best Homemade Frozen Margarita Recipe
- Easy Bangin Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Recipe
Alright, give this strawberry lemonade a try guys and let me know what you think in the comment section. Please give me 5 stars, share on social media and email this recipe to your family and friends so they can enjoy it too.
Also, subscribe to be notified via email every time I post a new recipe. To stay updated on everything Philly Jay Cooking, follow me on social media by clicking the following links: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Be blessed!
Enjoy, later!
PBJ~
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Easy Refreshing Strawberry Lemonade Recipe
- Author: PhillyboyJay
- Prep Time: 20 Mins
- Cook Time: 10 Mins
- Total Time: 30 Mins
- Yield: 10-12
- Category: Beverages
- Method: American
Description
Delicious, refreshing strawberry lemonade made with spring water, fresh lemons, strawberries, and strawberry puree-infused syrup. The perfect drink to quench your thirst after a jog around the park on a hot summer day
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Fresh Strawberries
- 1 Cup Lemon Juice
- 1 Gallon Spring Water
- 1/2 Cup Strawberry Syrup
- 4 Cups Sugar
Instructions
- Â Remove leafy calyx from strawberries.
- Add strawberries and one qt of water to the blender and pulse for 30 seconds.
- Place a medium size pot over high heat.
- Pour the juice into the pot through a strainer and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Scoop out the foam that rises to the top.
- Let the strawberry juice chill.Â
- Meanwhile, slice as many lemons as needed in halves.
- Extract lemon juice using the citrus juicer and remove seeds.
- Add lemon juice, sugar, and strawberry syrup to the pitcher.
- Pour in the strawberry juice and the remaining three qts of water, then stir well.
- Slice three lemon peelings into six pieces and add to the pitcher.
- Place the lemonade in the refrigerator to chill.
-
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3 thoughts on “Easy Refreshing Strawberry Lemonade Recipe”
I’m looking at YouTube videos from 8 years ago.
Whenever I wanna really show out for Thanksgiving I always use your recipes.
Thanks for sharing this. I’m a fan of Charlie’s strawberry lemonade. Definitely saving this one cause I’ve never made a recipe of yours that I didn’t Love 🖤
Cool! Be sure to come back and let us know how you like it after you try it.