Luscious Lemon Desserts by Lori Longbotham is filled with lemon ideas, some familiar and some with a twist. Here’s her idea for “staging ahead” to make lemonade: make a lemon juice syrup that can be stored for up to three weeks. When you want to drink, all you do is mix the syrup with cold water. The mixing ratio? It’s up to you, but the suggested proportions are 1 part syrup to 4-6 parts water. You can start with 1:4 and dilute if you want. I prefer my lemonade on the “wake me now” side.
Lemonade Syrup
Yield: 5 Cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- Finely grated zest of 4 lemons
- Pinch of slat
- 3 cups fresh lemon juice [about 12 large lemons]
Preparation:
Bring 1 cup of water, the sugar, and the zest and the salt to a boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for 5 minutes, then removed the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Pour the syrup through a strainer into a large glass measure or bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and mix. Pour the syrup into a large jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. The syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.