Homemade Lemonade - Kid Recipes

by Lauri Griffin | More from this Blogger

The warmer weather, and talk of school being over in a few weeks, has my boys anxious for the summer. Yesterday, at the grocery store, one of my nine year olds begged for a bag of lemons. A couple of years ago we discovered that homemade lemonade is actually very easy to make and is incredibly delicious. The only drawback is that juicing the lemons is a little messy.

I think making lemonade from scratch is worth the mess though, for a lot of reasons. We live in such a fast-paced world. Taking a little extra time for a superior product seems to be a good life lesson. Plus, I think it connects us all a bit more with the natural world. Instead of a white plastic container, we hold actual lemons. We notice their beautiful yellow color, their dimpled markings. When we cut into the lemon we are rewarded with their clean, refreshing scent. The best reason though, is that real lemonade is truly marvelous. If you have never had it, you are missing out on a taste treat!

The only special equipment you will need is a juicer. You can buy an electric one, but the old-fashioned citrus juicers work just fine and are easier to clean. Let the kids wash about three lemons. (It's no coincidence that each of my three children gets a lemon to wash and juice.) Cut the lemons in half. Let the kids push the lemon against the citrus juicer. You want about ½ to ¾ cup of juice. Strain the juice if the seeds bother you. Add the juice to a pitcher. Pour in four cups of cold water, about 1 cup of sugar, and some ice. Stir, pour, and enjoy the taste of summer.

If you want to get fancy, you can substitute honey for the sugar, or add some frozen strawberries, or mint leaves. All of those are good, but I really prefer the taste of that plain lemon, sugar and water lemonade. Nothing else tastes quite the same. It's definitely worth a little mess and trouble.

More Lemonade Recipes:

Lemonade Recipes

Italian Lemonade

Homemade Lemonade

Learn more about Lauri Griffin

Lauri lives in Colorado with her husband and three sons. Amidst all the laundry and packing of lunches, she tries to keep parenting fun.

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