Easy Ginger Citrus Lemonade

We have fun adding flavor to beverages and making jellies with the bounty of several potted citrus plants in our backyard. This easy ginger citrus lemonade is a family favorite.

The recipe is moderately sweet; my husband drinks it as is, but I like to pour a few ounces of lemonade over a half-full glass of ice water. However you prefer it, this lemonade is refreshing and delicious.

Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan

Makes 2-3 liters

Ingredients

1 cup of citrus juice (see note below)
1 cup of unbleached cane sugar, or other sweetener of your choice
2” piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced into thin pieces
6-8 cups of water
Ice

Directions:

Squeeze citrus using a hand or electric press into a glass measuring cup. Pour the juice into a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Add sugar and ginger slices and stir until sugar is fully dissolved (about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool.
In a large pitcher, add 2-4 cups of ice. Discard the ginger slices from the citrus/sugar mixture, then pour the mixture over the ice and stir. Add 6-8 cups of water, or to desired taste. Stir again and enjoy!

*Note: For this recipe I tend to use whatever citrus is ready to pick. In this particular instance, I squeezed about 20 sour calamondin oranges, 1 super juicy lemon, and 3 juicy limes. You can use any fresh squeezed citrus juice, so get creative! If your squeezed citrus doesn’t yield a full cup, just adjust the sweetener so that your juice-to-sugar ratio is 1:1.