Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

With summer arriving, fresh, delicious produce is constantly hitting the market stands (yay!).  I was fortunate enough to be gifted with a basket of strawberries from my mother-in-law, and I had a few ideas on what I could use them to make.  Homemade strawberry lemonade ultimately won out, and with this recipe from PBS in hand, I set out to make a fresh batch!

The lemonade turned out not too tart, and not too sweet, which is just the way I like it!  With that being said, if you do prefer yours on the sweeter side, I would add a little bit more sugar to the simple syrup mixture you make in the beginning of the recipe.  But for me, this recipe was definitely a winner and I can't wait to keep making it well into the summer months!  :)

Ingredients  [makes around 2 quarts]

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I used about 8 medium-sized lemons)
• 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 4 cups of cold water
• Ice

Directions

In a small sauce pot, make a simple syrup by combining the sugar and water and bringing it to a simmer.  Stir to dissolve the sugar and then remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.

Puree the strawberries in a blender until smooth.  Pour the pureed strawberries into a plastic pitcher and add the simple syrup.  Add the lemon juice and stir well.

Add the cold water while continuing to stir.  When you are ready to serve, add lots of ice.  Then enjoy your homemade strawberry lemonade in a mason jar!

What's your favorite kind of lemonade?