 |
Looking for a refreshing summer drink that is easy on your wallet?
Well, do I have a versatile lemonade recipe for you!
If you’ve been around my website a bit, you know that I don’t like purchasing ready-made things when I can easily make them myself.
Here is another case in point and one of the easiest yet.
One of my readers recently asked if I had a healthy drink she could treat her kids to by offering them something besides water. I completely understand.
I don’t let my kids drink any sodas or bottled juice drinks. One reason is due to the problems that they pose for health and the other is the cost.
1. Have you seen the plethora of negative information coming out about high fructose corn syrup and sugar alone? There has been mercury detected in high fructose corn syrup due to the means of processing, and sugar is now being linked to all sorts of health issues.
2. Take a look at your grocery bill and see how much you are spending on drinks: sodas, juices, etc. And those “healthy waters”? Don’t get me started. Anyhow, here is a way that you can treat your whole family to a wonderful summery drink without breaking the bank. And you can sweeten it however you wish.
Homemade Sugar-Free Lemonade (with sweetener options)
Ingredients
64 oz (8 cups) water
1/4 cup (equivalent of two lemons) lemon juice (I recommend Dream Foods organic)*
8 scoops (1/4 tsp) pure stevia extract (I recommend NuNaturals), to taste** (you may substitute approximately 1/2 cup of a granulated or liquid sweetener to taste.)
Method
1. Pour water into pitcher.
2. Add lemon juice and stevia.
3. If using a granulated sweetener, mix 1/2 cup water and the sweetener in a pot and heat until the sweetener is dissolved. Then, once dissolved, add sweetener and water mix to remaining water.
4. Stir and enjoy!
This tastes great chilled with ice cubes. It really refreshed my husband and boys this past week when they were working on our raised beds in 90+ degree heat!
Notes:
*Our family purchases the same brand of organic bottled lemon juice in convenient large bottles at our local Costco. Please don’t buy the yucky plastic bottled lemon juice that is labeled as “made from concentrate.” Yuck taste and yuck ingredients (do you really want to be eating sodium benzoate, sodium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite if you don’t have to? Me neither.
**Pure stevia is incredibly sweet. 1 scoop = 1/32 tsp and either one or two scoops will sweeten an 8 oz drink. It is really important which stevia you choose. Some are just plain icky. Our family’s current favorite is NuNaturals as it is one of the only brands that uses only water to extract the stevia from the plant. But KAL is really nice as well. I am going to be trying another brand that was recommended to me soon. I’ll keep you updated!
Tips & More
- Of course, use lime juice to make limeade!
- How much can you save?
If you purchase Costco’s lemon juice, one 64 ounce (close to a 2-liter) will set you back only 24 cents, plus the cost of your sweetener. And if you use stevia, this is really a bargain drink!
Now that’s a sweet deal 
!)
So skip the specialty stevia-sweetened drinks on the market — make your own and do something more purposeful with your money!
- Sweetener tips: For sweeteners, if you are able to eat sugar (more on that later), I recommend honey or sucanat. If need/wish to avoid sugar, I recommend stevia. If you have trouble with stevia, there are other options:
Vegetable glycerine is a more natural one. NOW glycerine is a great brand.
They are not technically regarded as “whole foods” in the whole foodie arena, but xylitol and erythritol are the better choices among the alternative options. I recommend several brands, including Now Foods and Emerald Forest. Prices on Iherb are great too for alternative sweeteners, and you get $5 back on your first order! Here’s a link to NuNaturals erythritol there.
Check out my recipe page for other Make Your Own Tips that can save you a bundle. For example, how about trying your hand at making your own:
What is your favorite drink?
Do you have something you would like me to figure out a “homemade” version of?
{Photo Credit}
I’m confused. Vegetable glycerin doesn’t sound sweet. ??? Does it work as a sweetener?
It is actually quite sweet. It is a “standby” in some circles of folks avoiding sugar. It is also a moisturizer
. Medicine manufacturers use it in medicines to sweeten it for children.
Hi! I wonder if bubbly mineral water could be used…. if so it would almost be a homemade 7up! the thing is… by mixing the water with the rest wouldn´t we loose the bubbles?
hmmmmm
maybe not if it was stored in glass bottles right away… what do you think?
Yum! Thank you for sharing. This looks delish, right in time for the warm weather. I am going to Arizona to visit my sister at the end of June. I will bring this recipe with us to sip by her pool. Can’t wait. Thanks, Jana http://www.adoctorandanurse.com
Thanks for sharing your sugar-free lemonade!
Would you mind linking back to KTT? I didn’t see it in the list 
Tammy
You’re welcome! My son is my “admin assistant” for linkups. He is off to do it right now
.
I have an Amish cookbook I love and it has a recipe for homemade lemonade. It says to wash several lemons and slice them fairly thin and layer them in a pitcher. Add water and let it sit in the refrigerator for several hours, using your potato masher every hour or so and mash the lemons in the pitcher to release not only the juice but also the flavor from the rind. Add sugar or artificial sweetener to taste after a few hours and it’s delicious! They also recommend adding a sprig of mint to each glass when serving but I don’t really like that. Yours sounds much easier but this one is very nice for show, such as having company over or to bring to a 4th of July celebration.
If I remember correctly, lemon rind can have a lot of pesticides, so I would only do this w/ organic lemons. And by the way, I don’t care for mint either
.
You could also put some lemon slices in mine too for show
.
New to your blog, really loving it!
Cant wait to try this recipe out, perfect time for summer!
I would love if you could create a great homemade toothpaste!
I am new to being homemade and I am loving it so far…the taste, quality and price is worth the time for my family!
Sarah beth
Your homemade lemonade looks so delicious. I had no idea that there could be mercury in hfcs! I am going to check out your links now. Thanks so much for coming by to share at These Chicks Cooked Recipe Spotlight. Have a great weekend
Katie
Great post and just in time for summer. We just got back from a 4 day camping trip and I wish I would have had it then!
Thanks for sharing at the hearth and soul hop.
Hi Adrienne,
What a great lemonade! I will be serving this at my upcoming picnic, it looks very good. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday, have a great week end and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Happy to hear that you share our love for homemade beverages. Fresh squeezed lemonade is the ideal summer treat!
great post and thanks for sharing, love to try it! have a great weekend!
wow! that looks really yummy!! very healthy too.. hope you could visit me at http://www.eatdrinkblog.info/dinner-at-mc-donalds/
also, i added this blog into my blogroll. i would appreciate an x link. thanks!!
Thanks for sharing this! My kids love lemonade, but it’s hard to find lemondade that isn’t packed with food dyes. I will give this a try.
Love this recipe:) I made up a similar one last year for a big family party, because my conscious wouldn’t let me buy the powdered junk. Using organic lemon juice and sugar, it tasted great, but this year I wanted to figure out a sugar free or natural sweetener option. So grateful to find you!
Thanks goes to Spain In Iowa’s Simple Lives Thursday for leading me here:)
This sounds delicious! I love homemade lemonade.
Thank you for the “Print This” button for the recipe. That is so helpful.
Thanks for the encouragement! I am hoping to have them up on all my recipes soon!
What a refreshing drink — most juices and sodas aren’t refreshing. My husband will also be happy with it. Now i’m eager to try it.
Hope your weekend is joy-filled.
Blessings,
Pamela
This sounds like a great alternative to sugar-sweetened fresh lemonade. I was making mine with evaporated cane sugar, but have not tried stevia. Will definitely pick it up on my next grocery trip and give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you like the stevia. I would highly recommend one of the brands I have mentioned. Some are downright bitter. Also, you may wish to try Sucanat. It is a healthier alternative than the cane juice crystals.
Hope it works for you!
MMMMMHH…Yummmmmy!
Twitter: gfhomemaker
says:
I have used powdered stevia for year to sweeten drinks. However, I have found that it doesn’t work as well in acidic drinks such as lemonade or coffee. I end up using half stevia and half some other sweetener. I wonder if it is the brand, but I have used different ones. I have also wondered if the liquid form would work better. Any suggestions?
Thanks for linking up!
Linda, which brand of stevia do you use? I haven’t tried the liquid form, but I will go try one now and see how it goes, though my liquid ones all have a flavor added. Maybe if I try the orange flavor it won’t be too strange
.
Here is our recipe:
2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice( i use an electric juicer, and we juice 12-16 bags of lemons at a time, then freeze 2 cups of juice in a quart freezer bag). add 1 tblsp of liquid stevia(does not have the aftertaste) and water to make 1 gallon.
When we want lemonade….(2-3 gallons a week) we pull out a bag of frozen juice, add water and stevia….EASY
Great post, Adrienne! So good to see more ideas that can help to get kids (and adults!) away from sugary sodas, etc. This lemonade really works!
Vicky (comment above), this is more or less our recipe as well. It is so easy and inexpensive to make. I try to peel the lemons really thinly, in order to keep as much of the white pith as possible. The pith is very nutrient-rich. We sometimes add some limes to the mix as well for a change. Guilt-free refreshment!
I’m a little confused and find the stevia proportions a little contradictory. Could you be more specific?
Sure – let me know what your specific question is. Each scoop is 1/32 tsp so 8 scoops is 1/4 tsp. Make sure you are using stevia extract and not stevia with additives.
.
One more question on a completely different recipe. I noticed that you have commented a lot on the homemade rice milk recipe on the money saving mom site. It calls for 1 cup of cooked rice. Does that mean the equivalent of 1 cup uncooked rice, cooked, and then added to the recipe, or literally one cup of cooked rice. Sorry for being the stickler for details…
No problem
. It means 1 cup cooked rice. Hope it works well!
Love this Andrienne! Mmmmm!
Thanks! I do too!
Here is a Honey Ginger-Ale recipe I am having fun with. Got it from “Fresh Blends” recipe book by Blendtec. Hope you don’t have an aversion to Blendtec. I know I am enjoying some of the recipes you make in your Vitamix. (grin)! Here is the recipe:
1/3 cup ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped; 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice; 1/4 cup of honey; 1/4 cup agave nectar (synergy works here); and 1 Liter of Sparkling water, chilled. . . Here are directions: Add first 4 ingreients to jar in order listed and secure lid. Select “Whole Juice”. Pour blend into mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth and drain. Gather edges of cheesecloth and squeeze firmly to extract as much juice as possible. Pour 1/4 coup of blend into each glass and add sparkling water. Serve with ice cubles and fresh lemon slices if desired. . . that is the recipe. Here are my notes: I increased the ginger to closer to 1/2 cup (I like ginger); I used our Nut Bag to strain the concoction. The idea is to get the ginger tailings out. This is really delicious. I also works well with just cold water. . . First time I added the mix, I poured it directly into the Sparkling water – ohhhh my, it was fizz everywhere. Now I just add the waters to the mix.
This sounds great! No, I don’t have an official aversion to Blendtec – I tried one once hoping I’d love it as much as my Vitamix as it is more compact, but I couldn’t get good results with nut butters or sorbet. That’s all
.
ok,after convincing myself, I ordered NuNatural stevia through Vitacost, but couldn’t understand how to measure as the bottle doesn’t have any spoon.
After going back and forth for one week reading this post and others as well, I just realised your Amazon link is for LIQUID and Vitacost is extract powder!!!!
So, now I have this sittin on my counter:
http://www.vitacost.com/nunaturals-nustevia-pure-white-stevia-extract-powder
Should I return it or there is a way to use powdered extract…
Appreciate any help.
Sofia
Hi Sofia. I just checked the post and all of the links to NuNaturals were for solid…so I’m confused. Could you tell me which one you clicked on please?
I called NuNaturals this morning and they don’t have the scoops. Sigh. But I did find some you could buy. I had one from earlier when I bought KAL, though I am not sure how I ended up with 2….
In any case, you just have to use 1/32 of a tsp. So try a good-sized dash for a glass and see how it goes. For the lemonade, you can follow the instructions I gave and use a 1/4 tsp.
Let me know if I’ve misunderstood. Thanks!
oh. I clicked the first one in the Ingredients, but now I understand my confusion. Since I didn’t get the spoon and my link said “powder” while Amazon doesn’t specify that, I thought you were using liquid and I got the wrong product.:):)
I am relieved that I have the same product that you are using.
Thanks for clarifying it. I will use the instructions for lemonade, but you also mentioned you found some place where I can get the scoop. Is it @ Amazon?
On side note, I appreciate every effort you make to answer our questions. I have a lot of respect for what you do and I wish you and your family happpiness and success.
Take Care.
You are so kind, Sofia. I found a few places. This one seems to be reputable since they provide a phone # and secure checkout. I think I am going to order quite a few. I’ve had two total, but both have broken. It’s been over a number of years, but still……
I just spoke with them and they seem like a reputable company. Hope it works out for you!!! 15 cc Scoop @ Bramble Berry.
Made it finally with stevia( afetr bookmarking it for so long!!!!). The family enjoyed it a lot.
Thank you…
Sofia
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Adrienne
Just came across this set of spoons to measure Stevia and thought of sharing it with you. If you read the first review, it also gives you the measurement of each spoon related to their cute name.
http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-3080-Measuring-Spoons-Piece/dp/B0009X1P9S/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Hope it helps.
Sofia
I think those are great!
The little plastic scoops are really nice b/c they fit easily in the stevia container, but as I said, I’ve had 2 break over the course of about 3 years. Which do you think you will buy? Thanks, Sofia!
I think I am gonna go with Norpro set from Amazon as these are stainless steel.
I like that too…the one nice thing about the plastic is that the tiny scoop will fit in the stevia bottle so you don’t need to keep washing it. I’d love to hear what you think after you use it for awhile!
Hi Adrienne. I tried this recipe with oranges lemons and sparkling water. instead of all the artificial sweetners mentioned I used Agave Syrup but only a small amount as its very sweet. It turned out brilliantly and my fussy 12 yr old loves it. Agave syrup is a low GI sweetner and has about quarter the calories that sugar has and none of the dangers alluded to for artificial sweeteners.
Great idea!!!
Great recipe! I would substitute fresh lemon juice, I like the taste better and I don’t trust any of that bottled stuff, organic or not. Thanks for reminding me to make drinks at home!
I didn’t read thru all the posts so not sure if anyone else mentioned this, but, if you use San Pellagrino Sparkling Mineral Water with your lemon mix – ITS AMAZING! Tastes very much like Sprite. I easily drink a 32 oz. container of this on hot summer nights sitting on the porch.