OK, I just got home from the parade at a local festival. And, i love, love, love fresh squeezed lemonade. But, the last 2 festivals i was at, they don't know how to make it!! You do NOT squeeze a lemon, add water, and then add granulated white table sugar and shake it up and call it fresh squeezed lemonade! Ugh! Granulated sugar does not dissolve in cold water. In order to properly make lemonade, you need to first make a simple syrup. You bring water to a boil and add sugar and stir it up and heat it until it is dissolved. Then you let it cool and use it for your lemonade! I am sure you can even buy simple syrup! Grr..
I always add the lemon halves (that I've squeezed for the juice)
to the pot when making the simple syrup - the rind/zest gives it
an extra punch of flavor. I keep a quart of simple syrup in the
freezer at all times - once it is cool, I pour it into ice cube trays,
freeze it, then pop them out into a zip top baggie, and remove
the air. Letting the air stay in a baggie just promotes frost on
the item.
I always put the sugar in the pitcher, then put about 2 cups of super hot water in it and stir it before adding the lemons and water. Saves time and works.
I made it the same way as cheerios. I haven't made it in years though. When I was with the ex, our next door neighbor had a lemon tree that we were welcomed to pick.
