Did you know it's easy to make your own pink lemonade at home? If you love the fun and flavor of pink lemonade (or have a little one that does), follow these simple steps on How to Make Pink Lemonade. Because all it takes is some homemade lemonade + a little "secret" ingredient to whip up a pitcher of this refreshing and colorful favorite.
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Our 10-year-old daughter practically lives on pink lemonade when we dine out or get take-out. It's truly the only thing she drinks from a restaurant. And on the rare occasion a restaurant doesn't have pink lemonade? There's utter disappoint on her part, for sure.
But did you know you don't have to rely on restaurants to enjoy a big, cold glass of pink lemonade? Because it's actually easy to make your very own pink lemonade from scratch at home!
All it takes is some homemade lemonade + a little "secret" ingredient to whip up a pitcher of this refreshing and colorful favorite.
Our daughter, for one, is very happy about this recipe. She loves that we can mix up a cool, tasty, refreshing pitcher of her very favorite drink any time we'd like.
The funny thing is, pink lemonade is really just a batch of regular homemade lemonade -- with one "secret" ingredient added to change its color to pink.
And that turn-it-pink "secret" ingredient? -- It's grenadine
Grenadine is a sweet bright red syrup made from pomegranates, and is the ingredient that gives a Shirley Temple its characteristic bright pink hue and sweet taste. You can find grenadine in a small bottle in the drink mixers section of the grocery store (or order Grenadine from Amazon).
I've also seen pink lemonade recipes that call for cranberry juice or maraschino cherry juice to turn the lemonade pink, and we tried both just to compare the results to that of grenadine.
Grenadine is the way to go to turn the lemonade a deep shade of pink, while also maintaining its flavor as lemonade.
Cranberry juice didn't turn the lemonade pink -- instead, it made it more of a muddy muddled-tannish color.
And while maraschino cherry juice did turn the lemonade pink, the amount of juice needed to change the lemonade's color also significantly changed its flavor -- making it way too sweet and cherry-flavored for our tastes.
Grenadine is the way to go to turn the lemonade a deep shade of pink, while also maintaining its flavor as lemonade.
To mix up a batch of pink lemonade, start by squeezing fresh lemon juice. You'll need 1 cup of fresh lemon juice for a batch, which is about 6 lemons.
To get the most juice out of your lemons, use the palm of your hand to roll each whole lemon several times on the counter top before squeezing. This softens the lemons and helps release their juices. If you have an especially firm lemon, pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds before rolling it to help release its juice.
Once the fresh lemon juice is squeezed, combine the lemon juice and sugar in a pitcher.
Stir the lemon juice and sugar together briskly until the sugar is dissolved. Then, add in some water.
Then finally, add in a little grenadine. -- And just like that, you've got pink lemonade! Made from scratch. Pretty easily, at home.
So if you love the fun and flavor of pink lemonade, or have a little one that does, give this easy Pink Lemonade recipe a try. Because all it takes is a little grenadine to whip up a pitcher of this refreshing and colorful favorite.
Check out these other refreshing drink recipes:
Check out these other refreshing drink recipes:
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Yield: about 6 cups
How to Make Pink Lemonade
Did you know it's easy to make your own pink lemonade at home? If you love the fun and flavor of pink lemonade (or have a little one that does), follow these simple steps on How to Make Pink Lemonade. Because all it takes is some homemade lemonade + a little grenadine to whip up a pitcher of this refreshing and colorful favorite.
Prep time: 15 MCook time: Total time: 15 M
Ingredients:
- 1 c. fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar
- 4 1/2 c. cold water
- 1 T. grenadine
- 1 lemon, unpeeled and thinly sliced for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Combine lemon juice and sugar in a pitcher. Stir briskly until sugar is dissolved.
- Add cold water and grenadine, stir to combine.
- Add a few ice cubes to the pitcher to chill the lemonade down. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving time.
- Serve poured over ice. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.
TRACEY'S NOTES:
- To get the most juice out of your lemons, use the palm of your hand to roll each whole lemon several times on your counter top before squeezing. This softens the lemons and helps release their juices. If you have an especially firm lemon, pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds to help release the juice.
- We love this lemonade on the tart side with its 3/4 cup sugar. Increase the sugar to 1 cup if you like a sweeter lemonade.
- You can substitute Splenda or other sugar substitute in this recipe just fine. Adjust the amount to suit your personal taste.
- You can find grenadine in a small bottle in the cocktail drink mixers section of the grocery store.
You might also like these other tasty drinks:
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This post is linked with Weekend Potluck, Meal Plan Monday.
Perfect recipe for this time of year - was just thinking I'd like to make some!
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ReplyDeleteMiz Helen
Excellent and refreshing looking lemonaid drink. Very healthy as well.
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