Homemade Blueberry Lemonade

Are you craving lemonade, but are looking for a twist?  Try adding blueberries.

This refreshing homemade blueberry lemonade is a real thirst quencher on a hot summer day.  This sweet, tangy, and fruity drink only takes four ingredients!

Questions

Is homemade this drink healthy?

One nice thing about making your own lemonade is you know the quality of the ingredients that went into your drink.  You won't find any high fructose corn syrup, natural flavors, preservatives, or fillers like vegetable juice, so homemade will be healthier than store bought.

How many calories are in this recipe?

Our recipe has 243 calories per 10 fluid ounces, but keep in mind this drink is made with lots of pure blueberry and lemon juice, unlike most store-bought drinks.  Just scroll to the bottom of the recipe to see the full nutrition facts.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

Certainly!  This recipe makes 40 fl. oz., so if you need double or triple this recipe feel free to use the scale buttons in the recipe card below.  Allow the lemonade to cool before covering and placing in the fridge.

How to Make

Gather the four ingredients: lemons, blueberries, sugar, and water.

Start by making a simple syrup.  Stir together the sugar and water over medium high heat until all the sugar is dissolved.  Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate.

Bring the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice to a boil, then simmer for 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and mash with a back of a metal spoon to release more juicy goodness.

Pour the blueberry puree into a cheesecloth-lined strainer that's nestled in a bowl.

Mash the blueberries with the back of a metal spoon to extract as much juice as possible.  Pour the juice into a shallow dish and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill.

Reserve the left over blueberries to use as a spread on your toast or a topping on vanilla ice cream.  If you love blueberry jam, this bonus should bring a smile to your face.

Squeeze 6 lemons, making sure there are no seeds or extra pulp in the juice.  Now you should have three liquids: chilled blueberry juice, simple syrup, and lemon juice.

To make an individual drink, pour equal amounts of simple syrup, lemon juice and blueberry juice into a glass, then stir in ½ cup of water.  If you want to mix it in a pitcher, just stir all the ingredients together.

Just before serving, drop in 7 ice cubes.  Garnish with a lemon slice and 3 or 4 plump blueberries.

Voila!  An impressive drink that tastes amazing.  Your kids will drink this in no time.

If you are looking for something to hydrate yourself this summer, you won't be disappointed with this homemade blueberry lemonade recipe.  It's a keeper.

Pro Tips

• Use room temperature lemons instead of cold ones because they are easier to squeeze and yield more juice.
• Speed up the cooling time for the simple syrup or the blueberry juice by pouring it into a shallow container.
• Other cooling methods are 10 minutes in the freezer or nestled in ice.
• Cooking the blueberries and mashing them up a bit brings out the flavor and the color.
• Line a metal strainer with cheesecloth to catch more blueberry seeds and pulp and to aid in the clean up process.
• Cooking blueberries versus using a blender provides you with a yummy blueberry spread.
• Instead of pouring the blueberry lemonade over ice, add just enough ice at the end, so it won't dilute the drink.

Like this recipe?  You might also like these other fruity drinks.

• Chick-fil-A Frozen Lemonade
• Mango Lemonade
• Cherry Lemonade
• Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
• Cherry Limeade
• Arnold Palmer Drink

The pleasure of a 5 star review would be greatly appreciated.

Recipe

Homemade Blueberry Lemonade

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5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Brooke
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 5 cups 1x

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Description

Homemade blueberry lemonade is an easy non alcoholic recipe that is not only great for kids but also for baby showers.  Simply gather some blueberries, lemons, sugar, and ice and I’ll show you how to make the best summer drink your family and friends have tasted!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 ½ cups filtered water
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, rinsed
• 1 ⅓ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 7 large lemons)

For the Garnish

• 4 lemon slices
• 12-16 blueberries
• 7 ice cubes per glass

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Instructions

Making the Simple Syrup

1. Place ½ cup of sugar and ½ cup of water in a small saucepan set over medium high heat.  Stir until the sugar dissolves, roughly 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and pour into a shallow container to speed up the cooling.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Making the Blueberry Juice

1. Bring the blueberries, ½ cup of sugar, and ⅓ cup of lemon juice to a boil in a medium saucepan, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes.  Mash them up a bit with the back of a large metal spoon.  You should end up with just under 2 cups of blueberries.
2. Line a metal strainer with cheesecloth and place it over a bowl.  Hold the strainer with one hand and carefully pour the blueberry mixture with the other.
3. Push down the blueberries with a large metal spoon to extract as much blueberry juice as possible.  You should get 1 cup of blueberry juice.
4. Remove the cooked berries from the cheesecloth and set aside for another use.
5. Pour the hot blueberry juice into a shallow container and place in the freezer to cool for 10 minutes.

Making the Lemonade

1. Halve the lemons and juice them with a citrus reamer to get 1 cup of juice.  Make sure to remove any seeds or excess pulp from the juice.
2. Measure out 2 cups of filtered water to reserve for later.

Preparing the Garnishes

1. Slice the lemon into thin wheels.  Select the best four slices and remove the seeds, then cut a small slit in each slice so it will sit nicely on the rim of the glass.
2. Set aside 12 to 16 plump blueberries.

Making the Blueberry Lemonade

1. Pitcher Method: Pour 1 cup of simple syrup, 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 cup of blueberry juice, and 2 cups of filtered water into a large pitcher and stir to combine.
2. Glass Method: Pour about ⅓ cup each of simple syrup, lemon juice, and blueberry juice into a 15.5 ounce highball glass.  Then pour in ½ cup of filtered water and stir.
3. Garnish each glass with 7 ice cubes, a lemon wheel, and 3 to 4 plump blueberries.  Serve immediately before the ice melts, as it will water down the drink.

Notes

• This keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days in a covered pitcher.
• Keep the cooked blueberries to use as jam.  You should get about ½ cup.
• Want to make this for a baby shower or a party?  Just quadruple the recipe and it will make 20 cups.
• Use room temperature lemons are easier to squeeze and yield more juice.
• To catch more blueberry seeds and pulp and to aid in the clean up process, line a metal strainer with cheesecloth.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Beverage
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: non alcoholic, homemade, summer