When Life Gives You Lemons

It’s already getting hot in Texas and I’m not too thrilled about it. To survive a typical torrid Texas summer, you need to crank up the AC, wear light-colored clothes, swim frequently and stay uber hydrated.

And even though I am not a soda drinker, water just doesn’t always cut it for me–yawn. But a glass of cold lemonade definitely does the trick. It really quenches your thirst and tastes delicious.

Yes, there’s plenty of packaged lemonades you can buy in the stores.

Or you can choose from a frozen concentrate in a sticky can or even powdered lemonades.

But the truth lies in this…if it’s yummy and processed, how good can it possibly be for you? The answer is “not that good.” Not good at all.

Modified cornstarch, glycerol ester of rosin (food additives) and the dreaded HFCS aka high fructose corn syrup. Top all that nastiness with a whopping 28 grams of sugar per serving, you might as well live it up and have a soda.

The good news is there are homemade alternatives that are easy to make, taste like real lemonade and are good for you. And since this blog is dedicated to seeking and creating healthy options to foods we love, homemade lemonade seems like a natural fit.

As an added bonus, research shows there are many health benefits to lemons. For example, drinking lemonade may help prevent kidney stones. Drink a glass of water with lemon juice in the morning and it will help to cleanse the liver. Lemons are full of Vitamin C and are thought to prevent infections. They are also are a good diuretic.

David loves lemonade and when he found out how good it is for you, he started making it all the time, especially when it’s hot outside.

His recipe is simple. Freshly squeezed lemon juice. Spring water. And a natural sweetener such as Truvia or Sun Crystals. or Stevia drops. Three simple and natural ingredients.

Add a sprig of mint, lavender or basil and you’ve got a summer beverage that’s both healthy and delicious. Or top it off with a shot of vodka, and well, I bet you can taste it already.

Buen provecho!

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Homemade Lemonade

Our local gourmet grocery store, Central Market, sells freshly squeezed juices such as orange, grapefruit, tangerine and other seasonal juices as well as lemon and lime. Because it's easier, David likes to use this lemon juice. But please don't go and buy that stuff in a green bottle that claims it's lemon juice, because it's not. Either use freshly squeezed from the store or squeeze your own lemons. Of course, you could also replace the lemons with limes and make limeade. As for the sweetener, you could also use agave nectar, Sun Crystals, maple syrup or whatever you like, but be sure to adjust the amount of sweetener according to your taste.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword lemonade, lemons

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 4

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet's husband

Ingredients

• Ratio:
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1  cup water preferably spring water and definitely not tap water unless you live in New York City where the water is great

For one pitcher of lemonade:

• 1 cup lemon juice
• 4 cups water
• 8 single serving packets Truvia or Stevia drops

Instructions

1. Add lemon juice and water to pitcher and stir. Add in approximately 8 single serving packages of Truvia or as many Stevia drops as needed. Stir well.

2. Refrigerate to chill thoroughly or serve over ice and enjoy immediately.