Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare the Strawberry Puree
- Take your fresh strawberries, with the stems removed, and place them into a blender or a food processor. Process them until they form a smooth, vibrant red strawberry puree. If you prefer a completely smooth texture without any seeds, you can strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve.
Craft the Mint-Infused Simple Syrup
- In a small saucepan, combine the 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar and 2 cups of water. Stir this mixture over medium heat until the sugar fully dissolves. Once it comes to a boil, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately add a generous handful of fresh mint leaves to the hot simple syrup. Let the mint leaves infuse for about 15-20 minutes as the syrup cools to room temperature, which typically takes 30-45 minutes. After infusion, strain out the mint leaves, leaving behind a beautifully fragrant mint-infused simple syrup.
Combine the Flavors
- Strain the 1 1/2 cups of fresh-squeezed lemon juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a large 2-quart pitcher. To this, add the cooled mint-infused simple syrup and the vibrant red strawberry puree. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of orange blossom water, adjusting to your taste for a subtle floral enhancement. Give everything a good stir to combine all the ingredients thoroughly. Then refrigerate the mixture until it is perfectly cold.
Dilute and Serve
- When ready to serve, retrieve the cold concentrate from the refrigerator. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of cold water to the pitcher and stir everything well. Taste the homemade lemonade and adjust the water quantity to achieve your desired sweetness and tartness. If it is too sweet, add a bit more water. If it is too tart, a little more simple syrup can be stirred in.
- Finally, serve the refreshing drink with plenty of ice. The colder it is, the better it tastes!
Nutrition
Notes
For the best flavor, use ripe fresh strawberries and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Always taste and adjust sweetness/tartness before serving by adding more water, simple syrup, or lemon juice as needed. For optimal chilling, refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. Store homemade lemonade in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days, or freeze the concentrate (lemon juice, simple syrup, puree) for up to 3 months. Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.