Fresh Squeezed Lemonade (with hints of orange & grapefruit)

I’m hooked. Honestly, I don’t know if I’d ever made true, fresh squeezed lemonade before this summer, but now that I’ve started, call me Miley Cyrus because I can’t stop.

I CAN’T STOP.

The obsession all started one day at work while cutting up a big ol’ container of lemons. It’s something I’d done hundreds of times, but I was really feeling the summer fever this particular day. After all the lemons were cut, the tray previously holding them was now holding a generous reserve of fresh lemon juice. Summer fever… lemon juice… What’s that saying? “When life gives you lemons…” MAKE LEMONADE! Well okay. 😀

Those lemons produced only one little glass of lemonade. Needless to say, my thirst was not quenched. So I picked up some lemons on the way home and made a whole pitcher full!

Instead of just plain Jane lemonade though, I made a few alterations. 🙂 I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time pouring so much diabetes– I mean sugar– into one pitcher of lemonade. So I decided to replace half of it with local honey. I know, honey is still sugar, but it’s a little better, right? Right (just nod along). I also decided to add a couple other summery citrus flavors into the mix. To get the orange flavor, I used fresh orange juice as well as orange essential oil, and I used grapefruit essential oil for a little extra pop of citrus. Essential oils are a recent addition in my kitchen, and I’ve been adding them to all kinds of stuff! You don’t have to include them in this recipe if you don’t want to go buy them, but they do make it extra tasty!

If you’ve yet to make fresh squeezed lemonade, what are you waiting for?! It’s really not difficult or tedious. Plus, it tastes better when you’ve done the work yourself. 😉

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. plus 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. plus 2 Tbs. honey (preferably raw, local, & organic)
• 8-9 c. water, divided
• 2 drops orange essential oil (optional)
• 5 drops grapefruit essential oil (optional)
• about 5 medium to large lemons (or 8-10 small lemons, enough for 1 c. juice)
• 1 small-medium orange (enough for 1/4 c. juice)

Instructions:

1. First, make your simple syrup. Combine the sugar and honey with 1 c. water in a small saucepan, and heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
2. Stir the essential oils, if using, into the simple syrup (sugar water mixture).
3. In the meantime, slice in half and juice the lemons and oranges. To get more juice out of them, use your palm to roll them firmly on the countertop before slicing (Rachael Ray’s handy tip). Though it requires a bit of manpower, I use a simple handheld lemon squeezer like this, but you can use any kind of juicer.
4. Pour the lemon juice (1 c.), orange juice (1/4 c.), and simple syrup into a large pitcher, and add 7-8 c. cold water to your taste preference.
5. Stir to combine, serve over ice, and enjoy!

This is the recipe I can’t stop making this summer. What summer recipe can’t you stop making? Or if you’re in the southern hemisphere, what winter recipes are you making? 😀 I like soup anytime of year, so don’t hesitate to share your warm, winter recipes! Oh ALSO– World Cup! Who’s watching?? Unfortunately, the games are airing primarily while I’m at work, but I have caught a few. It’s pretty much the only major sporting event I get excited for, and I’m LOVING IT! Still haven’t decided for sure who I’m rooting for to take it all, but it’s fun to watch either way. 🙂 Lastly, forgive me for the amount of Petra photos I’ve been including, but I can’t get enough. I also can’t get enough of this summer weather and the WARM SUN!

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