Summer is THE time for lemonade, right? There’s nothing quite like that sweet-tart nectar we guzzle on sweltering hot days. And, when it comes to lemonade, the real stuff is where it’s at! I understand the appeal of Minute Maid concoctions, but real lemons taste so much better.
If you’re like me, then you may have grown up with citrus juicing contraptions of all kinds. They’re fun, messy, and rather laborious. Can we make lemonade without squeezing the heck out of lemons for a few drops of sour goodness?
The answer is yes.
I bring you a no-squeeze lemonade spiked with basil leaves bound to make your lemon-loving friends shout for joy!
As it turns out, the peel of the lemon (and other citrus fruits) is where a ton of the nutrition is at (source). This is the part we often throw away! What a shame.
Furthermore, this is the part of the lemon with the brightest flavor! There’s a reason why freshly grated lemon peel is a part of so many recipes. It’s delicious.
Ready to make the most amazing lemonade? Let’s get started!
Effortless No-Squeeze Lemonade with Basil
Ingredients (makes 4-5 large cups of iced lemonade):
- 4 lemons, quartered, seeds removed, peels intact.
- 4 cups of cold water
- 3/4 cup honey or other sweetener
- 3 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1 lemon, sliced, for garnish (optional)
- Additional water and honey for adjusting the flavor
Instructions
This recipe is really simple! Place the quartered lemons, 4 cups of cold water, honey, and fresh basil leaves into a high-powered blender. I use a Vitamix but any sturdy blender will do.
Once the mixture is frothy and fully mixed, poor the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Discard the fibers.
At this point, you will have a pretty strong, tart lemonade. To adjust the taste, pour the filtered liquid back into the blender and blend with water and/or honey. I do not suggest adding more basil because this will turn the lemonade green!
When the lemonade is just how you like it, fill a tall glass half-way with ice. Chiffonade the basil for garnish and add a few chopped leaves into the glass. Pour lemonade into the glass and add a slice of lemon for garnish. You’re done!
Notes
This is sort of an “adult” lemonade. The peel adds more depth of flavor and brightness, but might taste a bit bitter to those who don’t love lemons. More honey should fix this issue if you’re serving it to kids! Also, you can spice this drink up by adding a splash of triple sec or tequila. Make it sparkling by adding soda water!
[Tweet “Want to make FRESH lemonade without squeezing lemons? Here’s how! via @daisylinshih”]
Thanks Amanda! It was!
It looks so refreshing! x
Hope you do and enjoy it Kiki! 🙂
Thanks girl! And exactly– it’s so much easier this way!
Thank you Alice!
Yeah, it’s really good this way!
Yup! I started adding whole lemon slices to my veggie juices, and it tastes great!
Thanks Christine!! Exactly, basil is so amazing!
Haha it’s delicious and easy!
Exactly! A lot of flavor is in the peel too, so it’s worth a try!
I hope you do try it Gina! It’s super lemony and pretty healthy too 🙂
Mmm cold water with lemon is yummy!!
Ooh basil plants are the absolute best thing!
yes! with the peels! it’s really fragrant. Just cut off the ends of the lemon and they’re ready to go in the blender!
No no no would I ever drink Minute Maid over a fresh squeeze glass. Homemade is wear it’s at. I like the touch of basil. I’ll have to try this! (:
http://www.accordingtokiki.net
This sounds delicious! I love fresh lemonade and the addition of basil and the fact that you don’t have to squeeze all those lemons makes this a win-win-win!
Laura
http://www.agirlandherhome.com
Looks delish!
I LOVE lemonade. I would have never thought to leave the peels on!
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve heard that the peel is the healthy part, but I’ve never thought of how to include it!
That looks so refreshing! I love anything with basil in it! Adds to the “fresh” factor!
Yummmm! This looks about a million times better than the MinuteMaid I’ve been drinking all summer!
Wow, this is so interesting! I have never seen lemonade done this way but it totally makes sense with a lot of nutrition being in the peels! It looks amazing and we are big fans of lemonade around here so I’ll have to give it a try!
Yum!! This looks so good—I haven’t heard of lemonade recipes like this! I like how there’s no added sugar! Thanks so much for sharing Daisy 🙂 I might just have to try this!
That looks so delicious though do you blend it with the peels as well?! I definitely want to try this – I love lemonade but the tedious task of squeezing the lemons has me reaching out for minute maid whenever I crave it!
This looks so good!! Plus, I have a basil plant at the moment 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Looks so delicious and refreshing! I’m actually drinking a cold glass of lemon water at the moment! (I prefer cold over hot lemon water!) I’ll have to try this lemonade out. Thanks for sharing!
Renee | Lose The Road