The Perfect Ratio When Making Lemonade From Scratch

So life gave you lemons. Now, you can always serve lemons with fish or use them as a garnish on a refreshing limoncello cocktail. But if you want to stick with the classics, make lemonade.

In theory, making lemonade is simple enough: just mix sugar, water, and lemon juice. But like so many deceptively simple recipes, the ingredients, preparation, and ratio are everything. Of course, no one ratio is going to make everyone happy. One person's perfect ratio is sickeningly sweet to another. Some popular recipes recommend a 6-to-1-to-1 ratio of water, lemon juice, and sugar, but others recommend a 4-to-1-to-1 or even 3-to-1-to-1 ratio.

Remember: Once you add too much water, it's hard to go back — especially if you're out of lemons. One solution involves making a concentrate with a 1-to-1-to-1 ratio, then diluting it until it tastes right to you. However, this method can complicate things if you're aiming for a specific amount. If you need to know how much you're making, consider a nice, neutral 4-to-1-to-1 ratio. With this ratio, 10 cups of water, 2 ½ cups of sugar, and 2 ½ cups of lemon juice will make a little under a gallon.

Now you've got the ratio down, but you still don't know if you have enough lemons. Many recipes recommend a specific number, but lemons come in many shapes and sizes. It can be hard to tell how many you need.

As a general rule, you can get around 2 to 3 tablespoons of juice from your standard, medium-sized lemon. Bigger lemons typically have more, but size isn't everything: some lemons are juicer than others. When you're shopping for lemons, look for ones that feel heavy and slightly soft. There are 16 tablespoons to a cup, so, assuming each lemon has 2 tablespoons of juice, you'll need 8 lemons per cup. If you're stuck with lemons that are small or tough, though, estimate 1½ tablespoons.

One of the simplest ways to juice a lemon is with a juice press, the handheld tools that squish juice out of citrus fruits with the squeeze of a lever. A citrus reamer — the classic ridged device — works, too. Squeezing the lemons by hand is always an option, but you might not get as much juice. Consider budgeting an extra lemon if you're squeezing by hand.

You can always make lemonade by mixing water, sugar, and lemon juice in a pitcher. But, as any fan of classic Southern sweet tea will tell you, it's hard to dissolve sugar in a cold drink. No matter how much you stir, you'll probably end up with a bit of undissolved sugar at the bottom of your pitcher. It'll be especially difficult if you go with the concentrate method: the higher the water-to-sugar ratio, the harder it is to get the sugar to dissolve.

Instead, consider making simple syrup. Heat equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan on the stove, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the syrup is cool, add it to a pitcher with lemon juice and stir. Then, start adding water, tasting as you go. Keep in mind that adding ice will dilute the drink further, so stop just before you think you have the perfect drink. However, if you want a little more control over the dilution, consider swapping ice cubes for slices of frozen lemon.