Food Recipes How to Make Homemade Frozen Lemonade Concentrate 4.0 (53) 6 Reviews Learn how to make homemade frozen concentrate lemonade so a refreshing lemonade is always within reach. By Heath Goldman Heath Goldman Heath Goldman is a trained chef, recipe developer, and writer. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 17, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Hands On Time: 15 mins Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 16 Jump to Nutrition Facts The beauty of instant lemonade is you can keep it around for ages and mix up a drink in seconds. The obvious downside is it's nowhere near as delicious as the homemade version (and it's often full of artificial ingredients). Luckily, it's easy to make a lemonade concentrate that you can store in the refrigerator for up to three weeks or in the freezer for up to six months. Most lemonade recipes instruct you to make a concentrate that you then dilute with water and ice right away. In this recipe, you only need to make the concentrate part, so you can store it and then dilute it with water and ice whenever the mood strikes, perhaps when you're grilling a meal for friends or finally relaxing with a book on the porch. P.S. We love a good store-bought shortcut, but this is not the time to use bottled lemon juice. Hannah Zimmerman Ingredients 2 cups granulated sugar 2 ½ cups fresh lemon juice (from about 15 medium lemons) Directions Bring sugar and 1¼ cups water to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Combine sugar syrup and lemon juice in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months. To serve, mix 1 part syrup with 1 part cold water. Pour over ice. Greg DuPree Freezer Tip If you plan on enjoying just a glass or two at a time, freeze the syrup in smaller containers, anywhere from 1/2 cup each (for one 8 oz. serving of lemonade) to 2 cups (for four 8 oz. servings of lemonade). Defrost the concentrate on the stove-top, in the microwave, or overnight in the refrigerator. If you use the stove-top or microwave, refrigerate the concentrate for a few minutes to cool it before mixing with water for lemonade. Variations Make limeade. Swap in an equal part lime juice for lemon juice, or go halfsies. Make sparkling lemonade. Instead of mixing the concentrate with regular water, stir it into sparkling water or club soda. Add herbs to the syrup. Boil the water and sugar with a couple sprigs of mint, rosemary, basil, or thyme. Keep the herb in the syrup while the syrup cools, then discard before mixing in the lemon juice. Keep this concentrate in the fridge for up to 5 days (not 3 weeks). It can still be frozen for up to 6 months. Add ginger to the syrup. Boil the water and sugar with a couple slices of fresh ginger. Keep the ginger in the syrup while the syrup cools, then discard before mixing in the lemon juice. Keep this concentrate in the fridge for up to 5 days (not 3 weeks). It can still be frozen for up to 6 months. Make it fruity (and colorful!). Add a handful of fresh sliced strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries to the water and sugar while it boils. Keep the fruit in the syrup while the syrup cools. Strain the syrup and discard the solids before mixing in the lemon juice. Keep this concentrate in the fridge for up to 5 days (not 3 weeks). It can still be frozen for up to 6 months. Garnish it. Add sliced cucumber, berries, or a sprig of mint, basil, rosemary, or thyme to the prepared lemonade for a hint of extra flavor. Spike it. Add 1 oz. (2 tablespoons) of vodka or gin to the prepared lemonade. Or just make a limoncello spritz instead. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 106 Calories 28g Carbs Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 16 Calories 106 % Daily Value * Sodium 1mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 28g 10% Total Sugars 26g *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.