# How do you make a lemonade?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 31, 2004, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906 "2004-01-31T11:24:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sleipner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleipner)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2004, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/1 "2004-01-31T11:24:40Z")
Its one thing that i really miss from U.S, lemonade! I gut lots of lemon, but no
recipe.
Help me out here please.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2004, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/2 "2004-01-31T11:28:48Z")
Three parts water to one part lemon juice and add granulated sugar to taste.
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### Author:  [@Sleipner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleipner)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2004, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/3 "2004-01-31T11:39:27Z")
Thank you!
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### Author:  [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/4 "2004-01-31T14:33:07Z")
If you want to be more elaborate, you can use sugar syrupp instead, and then you don’t have to worry about it dissolving. Sugar syrup is just equal parts sugar and water, boiled until the sugar dissolves and then cooled.
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### Author:  [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/5 "2004-01-31T14:36:07Z")
We always slice one lemon very thinly and float it in the pitcher of lemonade. If you want to get even fancier, you can freeze maraschino cherries in ice cubes and use them in the lemonade, too.
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### Author:  [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/6 "2004-01-31T16:38:46Z")
And if you want to get _really_ fancy (but get some _awesome_ lemonade), do what **Eva** suggested regarding making simple syrup (there’s a huge difference to me) but zest a lemon into the mix before boiling. Infusing the syrup with the lemon zest gives a really strong lemon flavor without making it too tart.
Fenris
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/7 "2004-01-31T17:53:46Z")
And pink lemonade is just lemonade with maraschino cherry juice added.
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### Author:  [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/8 "2004-01-31T18:07:01Z")
I thought you just poured the powdered lemonade-like mix into the water and stirred? :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/9 "2004-01-31T20:29:16Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#):
>
> If you want to get even fancier, you can freeze maraschino cherries in ice cubes and use them in the lemonade, too.
[indent]😕 [sup] **How do I put the cherries in my ice maker?** [/sup][/indent]
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### Author:  [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/10 "2004-01-31T21:28:56Z")
Wash the lemons well and rub the skin with sugar cubes. The cubes will suck up the lemon oil providing extra flavor. I’ve tried zesting the lemons, but the flavor is different. Three large lemons, a half-pound of sugar cubes and a quart of boiling water[add more if it’s too strong for you] will get you the tastiest lemonade you ever smacked lips over. It’s a PITA to make, but well worth it.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/11 "2004-02-01T22:00:53Z")
The best lemonade is “SOBE” brand. The ingredient list includes lemon grass (see [http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/lemongrass.htm](http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/lemongrass.htm) ) and marjoram.
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### Author:  [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/12 "2004-02-01T22:07:44Z")
my younger brother always makes the best lemonade. here’s how:
juice the lemons, probably 6 or so.
slowly add sugar to the lemon juice until it is as sweet as you like it
then slowly add water until the lemonade is as thin as you want it to be.
perfect every time!
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### Author:  [@MinniePurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MinniePurl)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2004, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/13 "2004-02-02T06:43:17Z")
I make sugar-free lemonade. I take a cup and a half of lemon juice, add water to make a gallon, add 48 packets of Equal and stir.
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### Author:  [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/14 "2004-02-02T14:43:02Z")
> [@MinniePurl](#):
>
> I make sugar-free lemonade. I take a cup and a half of lemon juice, add water to make a gallon, add 48 packets of Equal and stir.
And the paper from the packets adds fiber!
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### Author:  [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/15 "2004-02-02T15:19:15Z")
> [@kniz](#):
>
> [indent]😕 [sup] **How do I put the cherries in my ice maker?** [/sup][/indent]
Use ice cube trays.
I have to admit, it took me YEARS to overcome my habit of calling a refrigerator an “icebox”…
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### Author:  [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/16 "2004-02-02T18:01:44Z")
> [@MinniePurl](#):
>
> I make sugar-free lemonade. I take a cup and a half of lemon juice, add water to make a gallon, add 48 packets of Equal and stir.
Just my $.03 (inflation), you may want to try Splenda, it’s a new sweetener, and comes in bulk packaging, so you don’t need to open the packets. And it’s more tolerable by folks that have issues with “most” artificial sweeteners.
-Butler
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### Author:  [@Umbriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-a-lemonade/226906/17 "2004-02-02T21:40:44Z")
Our household prefers 1 cup sugar & 1 cup lemon juice to 1 gallon of water.
We mostly use Splenda in place of sugar (measures the same), but we’ve found that since Splenda apparently dissolves more completely than sugar, a complete substitution of Splenda makes the lemonade too “smooth”. Those of you who go the sugar syrup route may like that just fine, but we prefer to round out our cup of Splenda with a few spoonfuls of sugar, to give the lemonade some “texture”, at a negligible calorie cost per glass.