3 + 1 Ways for Homemade Lemonade (including one in the Slow Cooker!)

Here are 4 ways to make homemade lemonade. The classic, the Earl Grey, the Brazilian inspired with sweetened condensed milk, and the slow cooker lemonade! Take your pick or try them all.

Is there anything better than proper lemonade on a hot day? In a large glass with lots of ice? The crisp sweet sourness of it, quenching your thirst and leaving you wanting more. I adore it. So I’ve tried four different ways of making it.

The weirdest has to be the Brazilian inspired lemonade. I say inspired because lemonade in Brazil is made with limes. In a blender. With sweetened condensed milk. It sounds divine. But I have lemons coming out of my ears, and limes are seriously expensive here, so I thought I would adapt it. Apart from switching limes for lemons, the other thing I changed is the blender business. There were comments on the www that you have to be careful not to overblend, as the peel can produce bitterness. That sounded tricky so I thought I’d just make a version of the classic, using simple syrup. The result? Yes it’s delicious. It’s strange, but refreshing and tasty. Also, it’s best diluted with fizzy water which gives it a lovely froth. Would I make it again? Probably if I was looking to impress people at a party or something. Otherwise I’m not sure I’d bother opening a can of condensed milk for it, as it’s as good as, but not really superior to, other lemonades. It’s a practical and cost issue.

Second strangest is the slow cooker lemonade. Best thing about it? No squeezing! Whehey! Sliced lemons, sugar, water, off you go. The result is quite different to the others though, obviously due to the lemon peels imparting their flavour. It’s a slightly bitter taste (in a nice way), slightly reminiscent of lemon marmalade. Definitely worth a try for something out of the ordinary.

The classic I don’t need to talk about do I? I’ve used the 1:1:1 method, equal parts lemon juice, sugar, water (for the simple syrup). Always a favourite this one.

Finally, the Early Grey Lemonade. My what a fab combination. The Early Grey lets you know it’s there, but it doesn’t overpower the lemon. A really lovely drink. I am going to play around with this one, and maybe even bring some alcohol into the equation..!

So grab some lemons and get squeezing (or slicing). All these concentrates are best kept in the fridge (or why not freeze some if you have loads?) and to serve you just dilute them with water. I use a 1:2 ratio but go ahead and experiment, strength of lemonade is a personal matter!