Refreshing Strawberry Lemonade Drink is a great summer beverage to prepare while strawberries are in season. Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a twist to these delicious drink.
On a hot summer day, quench your thirst with this super easy, delicious Strawberry Lemonade drink. Put it in the freezer before serving to give it a slushy consistency and I bet you everyone will love it!
I was at Costco and can’t believe how cheap these strawberries were. It’s a 2 pounder and I got it for just over $3. Ain’t that cheap!
I’m still taking all the precautions before putting away groceries. Everything is washed or wiped before putting it in my fridge or pantry. This ritual is getting annoying but then my conscience will bother me if I don’t. Then I’ll end up doing more….
Luckily, I discovered I can use my dishwasher to dry everything that I washed. OK don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that you run your dishwasher. I DON’T TURN IT ON, I leave it there to dry instead of having strainers and trays sitting in the counter.
Now, I have less clutter in my counter and it is much easier to put away my groceries. Before, I washed and wiped each item, now I wash and leave everything in the dishwasher to dry overnight.
I check my dishwasher is empty before doing my grocery shopping so I don’t have to deal with that when I get home.
One thing that blows my mind is the price of lemon. A lemon is 70 to 80 cents a piece. We have tons of lemon here in the Valley that goes to waste. I don’t get that. Where is our lemon coming from?
Our lemon is way bigger than the one in the store. It is at least 3x bigger.
My neighbor has a lemon tree and ¼ of the tree hangs in my yard. I believe I get at least 400 lemons. I use 1 out of 10 and the rest goes to trash.
Last year, I squeezed about 70 – 100 lemons (roughly 2 liters) and poured it over weeds. This took me an hour to do. It was an experiment since I really want to go totally organic in my yard. Well anyway, I read in Google it will kill the weeds. Nope, that didn’t happened. The weeds seemed to love it and became even more lush!
Aside from lemon, our oranges are so delicious too but you can’t find it in the stores. When I was working, I always looked forward when my co-workers brought them to work. They are so juicy and much sweeter than the navel oranges.
One of the fruit I wished I planted when I moved to my house. I refrained from planting anything citrus to avoid roof rats. I haven’t discovered yet a farmer’s market that sold these oranges.
Health Benefits of Strawberries
If you are not aware, a serving of eight strawberries provide more Vitamin C than an orange. That alone should convince you to add this to your diet when in season.
Strawberries are sodium free, fat free, cholesterol free, low calories and has many health benefits. Here are some of the major benefits from strawberries listed in WedMD. It protects our heart, increases good cholesterol (HDL), lower our blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants that guards against cancer.
Health Benefits of Lemon
Similar to strawberries, lemon is also high in Vitamin C, good for our heart and contains compound that might help reduce risk from cancer. Check out Healthline for article.
Other than that, it is high in fiber thus promoting good digestive health and can aid with weight loss.
With the abundance of lemon in my yard, I try to take advantage of it and add it to my water but I get bad acid reflux. If I add sugar, I am fine. But as much as possible, I would like to use less sugar in anything I consume. Oh well!
So anytime you can get a hold of these fruits, have it. It is not just delicious but also loaded with many health benefits.
Tips in Making Strawberry Lemonade Drink
Making homemade Strawberry Lemonade are much healthier than store-bought. Less sugar, no artificial flavors or preservatives. These refreshing drink has only 3 ingredients: strawberries, lemon juice and sugar. That’s it!
You can prepare this ahead of time and it is much tastier when left in the fridge to chill overnight. Flavors from both fruit will blend well with a bit of thicker consistency like a juice.
If you prefer a clear drink, after blending the strawberries run it through a strainer or sieve to catch all the seeds and small particles. I don’t do this. Why discard all the tasty flavor and nutrients? I find this a waste. Again, it is up to your preference.
Pick strawberries that are very ripe or at least ripe. Strawberries that are very ripe require less sugar plus you want to use them first as they can go bad quickly.
Froze half of the strawberries if you don’t want to add ice cubes.
Don’t add too much water when blending strawberries. Once you combine all the ingredients in a pitcher then add water. This way you can control the consistency of your drink. Some like it runny while others like it thicker.
My recipe calls for 3 cups water, you can always use less or add more depending on your taste.
I prefer a less sugary drink so this is another ingredient that you can reduce or up the amount. Also, if you are not in the mood to make simple syrup, regular granulated sugar will do.
To make simple syrup, put equal amounts of sugar and water in a sauce pan over low heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Using simple syrup will prevent granulated sugar from settling at the bottom of the drink. Also, using liquid sugar ensures the desired sweetness of drink.
Make your own simple syrup since it is very easy to prepare and it will save you money!
If you have room in your freezer, put the pitcher for about ½ an hour or until it has a consistency of a slushy drink before serving. Make sure to take it out before it becomes frozen, that’s not what I am suggesting.
If you have oranges or grapefruit, it adds another layer of flavor when added to this concoction.
Again, recipes are to guide you but you can always tweak it to your liking or taste. My taste is definitely different from yours.
Try Other Refreshing Summer Drinks
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds fresh strawberries ½ frozen
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 5 large lemons
- 4 cups water
- ¾ cup simple syrup or ¾ cup granulated sugar dissolved in ¾ water.
- ice cubes
Garnish
- sliced strawberries
- sliced lemons
- mint leaves
Instructions
- If using simple syrup, place ¾ cup granulated sugar and ¾ cup water in a small sauce pan over low heat. Simmer mixture until sugar is dissolved. Cool. Otherwise, just use granulated sugar but you might find some sugar settling at the bottom of drink.
- Combine 2 cup waters, strawberries, lemon juice and ½ cup simple syrup.
- When strawberries are pureed, transfer mixture to pitcher. Add remaining water depending on consistency you prefer (runny or a bit thicker).
- Taste mixture and see if you need to add remaining ¼ cup sugar or more. Note: When strawberries are in season and very sweet, it doesn’t require much sugar unless you really like it very sweet.
- Refrigerate ½ a day or better yet overnight. Fruit flavors will blend well with a thicker consistency.
- If you prefer, transfer to freezer until consistency is similar to a slushy drink or serve with ice instead (if you like) then garnish with sliced strawberries, sliced lemon and mint leaves.
Notes
- If you prefer a clear drink, first blend strawberries with 2 cups water then strain. Put back in blender and add other ingredients. I don’t strain my drink. I find it a waste of flavor and healthy ingredients like fiber. It’s your preference.
- Add more water if you like but I prefer a bit thicker drink.
- Adding oranges and grapefruit adds layer of flavor to this refreshing drink.
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