Liquid Sunshine: Grandmommie’s Homemade Lemonade
As a little girl, I acquired a love for liquid sunshine. Hot Saturdays spent at Grandmommie’s taught me the joys of enjoying the cool, refreshing feeling of ice-cold lemonade in the dog days of Tennessee summers. But, if I was going to enjoy the fruits of Grandmommie’s labor, I had to make sure everyone else could too. Growing up, one of my jobs was to roll the lemons for a pitcher of homemade lemonade which was served the following day for Sunday lunch.
You may ask, “Wait, Sheree, don’t you mean squeeze the lemons? Why are you rolling them?” Well, let me explain. It’s part of the reason Grandmommie’s ice-cold lemonade can still instantly transport me back to those blissful summer days.
In Grandmommie’s tiny kitchen was a bar top with two swivel chairs where she and Grandaddy ate every meal. But it was a workplace as much as it was a place for enjoyment. This was the area where I performed many kitchen tasks, including rolling those lemons. Back and forth and back and forth, I made sure to roll those lemons to the best of my ability. Grandmommie put her heart and soul into her cooking and when I was by her side in the kitchen, I made sure to follow her lead.
Grandmommie taught me a lot of things about making lemonade. How to choose the right lemons. How to get every last drop of juice out of a lemon. Today I want to share the wisdom she passed on to me, to you.
Tips
When purchasing lemons, search for smooth-sided ones. These are juicer, have less pulp, and are perfect for homemade lemonade.
Before cutting the lemons in half, with the palm of your hand, roll each lemon for about 5 minutes to produce more juice.
Popping individual lemons into the microwave for 10 seconds will yield more juice.
Ingredient List
6 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
Water to make a gallon of lemonade
Instructions
Slice lemons in half and using a lemon juicer; juice the lemons to make sure the seeds are strained.
Add resulting juice including the pulp and sugar to a one-gallon pitcher. Stir vigorously to dissolve the sugar in the juice.
Fill the pitcher with water to make a gallon. Stir before serving over ice in glasses.
Lemon rounds can garnish each serving. Enjoy!
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