State Fair Lemonade

Name: State Fair Lemonade
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 285 min
Ingredients: 6 lemons; 1.25 cups white sugar; 5 cups cold water

4.8

(115)

105 Reviews

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This lemonade recipe is for real, authentic, vintage lemonade — the kind you might enjoy on a hot summer day at one of those stands at the state fair. Most of us make lemonade just out of lemon juice, but as you may know, the oils in the lemon peel contain a tremendous amount of flavor, and once you drink this, you won't want to go back to drinking it how you used to.

Recipe by Chef John

Updated on July 26, 2022

12

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

5 mins

Additional Time:

4 hrs 25 mins

Total Time:

4 hrs 45 mins

Servings:

6

Yield:

1 1/2 quarts

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

6 lemons
1 ¼ cups white sugar
5 cups cold water

Directions

Wash lemons and peel off all the zest using a vegetable peeler; set peeled lemons aside. Add lemon zest to a bowl and cover with sugar; toss to combine. Cover and let sit for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to overnight.
Bring water to a boil in a pot over high heat; turn off heat and pour in lemon-sugar mixture. Stir and let sit until sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Pour through a mesh strainer back into the same bowl and discard the zest. Let cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
Cut lemons in half and squeeze juice into the bowl. Pour lemonade into a serving pitcher; cover and chill thoroughly before serving over ice, at least 2 hours.

Chef's Notes:

If your lemons feel waxy, give them a good scrub under hot water before using.

Feel free to adjust the amounts of lemon juice and sugar.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

183	Calories
0g	Fat
53g	Carbs
1g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 183
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g	0%
Sodium 9mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 53g	19%
Dietary Fiber 5g	18%
Total Sugars 42g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 83mg	416%
Calcium 72mg	6%
Iron 1mg	4%
Potassium 159mg	3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.