There’s nothing like sitting on the back porch watching the world go by with a glass of sweet, ice-cold lemonade. You know what’s even better? When the lemonade you’re drinking is entirely homemade! Now that’s truly heaven.
We don’t mess around here in Savannah. We love to make up batches of fun-flavored and beautifully colored lemonades as soon as the temperatures hit 75 degrees, which can be as early as February or March some years! So follow our expert tips and make your own glass of summer refreshment.
– Use real lemon and citrus juice! Now we’re all for taking shortcuts now and again, but the key to a perfect glass of lemonade is using fresh juice. Sure, it takes some time to squeeze all those lemons, but we think the fresh taste is worth it in the end.
– Dissolve the sugar! Most of Paula’s lemonade recipes call for using simple syrup. Essentially, that means you just add sugar to some boiling water and stir until it’s completely dissolved. Using this method guarantees the lemonade will be evenly sweetened without random sugar granules. Just be sure to completely cool down the syrup before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients.
– Serve it cold! Always serve your lemonade in a glass filled with ice. It’s one of the reasons it’s so refreshing.
– Experiment with fresh herbs or summer berries! Paula loves mixing fruit into her lemonade for that special seasonal effect. You can either simmer the fruit or herbs with the simple syrup, muddle them into the drink, or blend them with the sugar and juice. Anyway you try it, it’s just as tasty.
– Don’t forget to garnish! We like to add whatever fresh fruit we’re using in the recipe as a garnish when we serve lemonade. Sometimes that means just a slice of fresh lemon or some berries, but it adds a special touch and helps make it look as good as it tastes.
Now the next time you find yourself with an extra six lemons, whip up some of Paula’s favorite lemonades!