Get ready to beat the heat with Super Simple Lemonade.
This is the lemonade I drink on repeat every summer.
It’s the lemonade that I serve at BBQs, potlucks, holidays — pretty much any warm-weather shindig going on at my house will have a pitcher of this on the table (along with my homemade iced tea).
Why is Super Simple Lemonade the book-inspired recipe for When No One Is Watching?
The entire time I was reading When No One is Watching, all I wanted to do was sit main character Sydney down on the steps of her Brooklyn brownstone apartment, hand her a nice, cold glass of lemonade, and tell her “It’s all going to be okay.”
Because if you’re lucky enough to own a Brooklyn brownstone, that’s what you should be doing on a hot, summer day: relaxing, enjoying a beverage, and watching the world go by. It’s too damn hot in the city to deal anything else, especially all the shit that goes down in Sydney’s neighborhood.
Why I love Super Simple Lemonade
This book-inspired recipe evokes the very essence of summer. Super Simple Lemonade is bright and sunny, refreshing and delicious. It’s the perfect drink to pour yourself after a day spent playing on the beach or reading a book outside.
Best of all, it only requires three ingredients: lemon juice, room temperature water, and raw honey.
Okay, four ingredients, if you want to add a mint garnish like you see in the photos. But that’s completely optional.
Making Lemonade with honey instead of sugar is a game-changer.
You might be raising an eyebrow at the “raw honey” ingredient. Yeah, I thought it seemed a little odd, too, until I tried it, and I was like, This is it.
THIS IS HOW LEMONADE SHOULD BE.
The honey gives the lemonade a mellow sweetness and a gorgeous golden color. One sip, and I think you’re going to be a convert. It’s just way better than traditional lemonades made with granulated sugar or simple syrup, both of which can make the drink tooth-achingly sweet.
Tips for making the perfect lemonade
Now, don’t try using “regular” honey in this recipe. It has to be raw. (That’s what she said.) I use this brand.
I’ve tried using non-raw honey, and the recipe just doesn’t turn out the same way. Don’t ask me why. Just trust me.
Another pro tip for making Super Simple Lemonade: use older lemons. I find them to be way juicier and sweeter than freshly picked lemons.
So, those lemons that’ve been hanging around the back of your fridge or the bottom of your fruit basket? This is their moment. The squishier, the better.
Okay, that’s it. Just like the lemonade, this post is super simple. Go forth and enjoy the summer!
With a glass of Super Simple Lemonade in hand, obvi.
What do you serve with Super Simple Lemonade?
Lemonade is the perfect drink to pair with your BBQ spread, such as main dishes like Firehouse Wings, Steak Tacos, or Smoked Gouda Burgers with Onion Jam and side dishes like Corn, Tomato, and Torn Basil Salad and Caprese Farro Salad.
And, if you’re packing up a picnic lunch of Fried Green Tomato BLTs, Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, and Red Velvet Brownies, be sure to bring a thermos of lemonade to share with everyone.
Super Simple Lemonade
Ingredients
- 6 lemons, juiced
- 1 cup raw honey
- 12 cups room temperature water
Instructions
- Slice lemons in half, then squeeze juice directly into a gallon-sized pitcher.
- Scoop raw honey into a one-cup measurent tool. Go slowly, and give the raw honey a bit of time to settle; it tends to spread after scooping. Once you have a full cup, add the raw honey to the pitcher.
- Add the room temperature water to the pitcher, then stir all ingredients together. Leave the pitcher at room tempature for 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often until the honey is completely dissolved and lemonade is a rich golden color.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve cold.
