Homemade Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
Prepare a simple, highly concentrated strawberry lemonade base that you can store and dilute later for quick, refreshing drinks.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 40 min
- Yield: About 3 cups concentrate
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stovetop Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6-8 lemons)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Reduce the heat to low and let it gently simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the strawberries break down.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, pressing gently on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.
- Stir the fresh lemon juice into the strained liquid.
- Pour the concentrate into clean, airtight jars or bottles.
- Cool completely before sealing and refrigerating.
Notes
- For a clearer concentrate, line your sieve with cheesecloth before straining.
- To serve, mix 1 part concentrate with 2 to 3 parts cold water or sparkling water, adjusting to your taste preference.
- This concentrate keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup concentrate
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 60
- Sodium: 2
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 61
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 0