Instant Pot Easy Homemade Lemonade

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HOW TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH THE INSTANT POT

Use the pressure cooker to make a quick and easy Instant Pot Lemon Syrup, and suddenly an ice cold cup of homemade lemonade is just seconds away!  This is what I call the ultimate, customizable, Instant Pot Lemonade.  Make it sweet, tart, fizzy, or add your favorite fruit for a whole new spin on the classic.  The options are truly endless!

If you've been around this blog long, you'll know my goal in life is to healthify everything as much as possible.  Such was my mission with this lemonade.  I tried honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar . . .  And guess what?  It just wasn't good, so I threw caution to the wind and used real-life sugar.  That is how lemonade is meant to be.

I'll go ahead and file this drink with the other dessert faves such as Triple Chocolate Layered Cheesecake and Lemon Bar Cheesecake, because life is too short to healthify everything, right?

Oh wait, that's right. I lack self-control and decisiveness, so ACTUALLY, I did include a better-for-you version . . . More tips on that below.

The Instant Pot part of this recipe actually makes a concentrated lemon syrup that you can turn into a big ol' pitcher of lemonade for a crowd or a single serving glass for your deserving self.

Guess what this means?  Once you've made your concentrated lemon syrup concentrate in the Instant Pot and have it ready and waiting in a mason jar in your fridge, you can whip up the best lemonade of your life in literally seconds.  You will never, I mean never, buy that powdered lemonade mix again.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT LEMONADE

• Customizable!  You decide how sweet or how tart you want it!  Half cup sugar for the ultimate face pucker or a full cup for a sugar buzz.
• Again, customizable!  Mix up a glass at a time for yourself or a pitcher for a party.
• Did I mention customizable!  Make it with plain water or for an unexpected treat, use carbonated/sparkling water.  Go for a can of Coconut La Croix.  Life changing I tell ya.
• One more time . . . customizable!  Use your favorite fruit to turn it into a pretty colored, flavored lemonade.  Peach and Raspberry were the favorites around here.  Watermelon and mint got a big thumbs down.  Details on how to do this are in the recipe card.

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT LEMONADE FOR A CROWD

1. Zest those lemons
2. Juice those lemons
3. Add the juice, zest, and sugar to the Instant Pot and make your lemon syrup.  Pour through a strainer
4. Chill and store your lemonade concentrate in the fridge
5. When you're ready to serve, take 30 seconds to fill a pitcher with water, ice, and lemon slices to make it fancy
6. SERVE!

SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

HOW TO MAKE A SINGLE SERVING GLASS OF LEMONADE

1. Fill a cup with ice and add the desired amount of lemonade concentrate
2. Add carbonated/sparkling water
3. Stir it up
4. Serve it to the cutest little boy you know

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST EASY, HOMEMADE LEMONADE

FRESH LEMON JUICE

• Bottled lemon juice just doesn't have the fresh vibrant punch that fresh squeezed does and sometimes they contain preservatives that alter the flavor even more.

PICK GOOD LEMONS

• Look for lemons that are deep yellow, heavy, and give a little when you squeeze them.  Lemons that are hard when squeezed have more pith and less juice.

USE THE LEMON ZEST

• I learned this trick from America's Test Kitchen.  The zest will naturally make it sweeter.  I can't recall where I read this statement, but it holds true, “If you want it to taste sour, use the juice.  If you want it to taste like lemon, use the zest.”  This Microplane zester is a must in the kitchen!

ALWAYS SERVE LEMONADE ICE COLD

• Crushed ice with lemonade is my favorite, but any ice will do, just make sure you serve it ice cold.

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY LEMONADE AKA FIZZY LEMONADE

I warned you that I couldn't help but put a healthy spin on this.  For a reduced sugar, lemony treat, go for the sparkling water with a tablespoon or 2 of lemon syrup.  It'll be cold and refreshing without being high in calories or loaded with sugar.

HOW TO GET MORE JUICE FROM A LEMON

Unless you've got bone crushing man hands like my husband, just squeezing a lemon by hand won't get you all the juice a lemon has to give.  Here are some tricks I've learned:

WARM LEMONS GIVE MORE JUICE

• Room temperature is good, but a lemon microwaved for 20 – 30 seconds is even better!  Be careful when you cut it open, the juices will flow freely and can be HOT!

ROLL AND PRESS THE LEMON

• Before cutting the lemon, roll and press it against the counter.

USE AN ELECTRIC JUICER

• I love this cheap juicer!  It's served me well through many batches of Lemonade and Lemon Cheesecake.  The reamer will rotate both ways and automatically strains the juice too.

USE A HANDHELD CITRUS JUICER

• This handheld citrus squeezer gets out more juice than you can by hand and contains the seeds as well.

USE A PLAIN OL' FORK

• This is how I did it before any of the above tools.  Stick a fork into half of a lemon with one hand and squeeze the lemon with the other hand while you twist the fork back and forth.  This can leave rind in your juice so be sure and strain it if needed.

I love love love these simple recipes that make using the Instant Pot an ever exciting adventure.

Enjoy this treat, my friends!  I highly recommend a tall glass of this lemonade with a side of Instant Pot Popcorn or at a backyard BBQ alongside my favorite ribs ever.  Life is good.

VARIATIONS OF HOMEMADE LEMONADE

• Swap lemons for limes for the Ultimate Instant Pot Limeade
• Use Meyer lemons for a naturally sweeter lemonade
• Use half and half lemon and orange juice.  This will also make it naturally sweeter and decrease the amount of sugar needed
• Add fruit, herbs, or extracts for a spin on the classic lemonade (examples in the recipe card below).  Think peaches, raspberries, or cherries; mint, basil, or red pepper flakes; vanilla, coconut, or almond extract

EXTRA TIDBITS

DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEMONS

There are 3 main types of lemons that you'll see at a grocery store:

• Eureka Lemon: Have seeds and more textured skin
• Lisbon Lemon: No seeds and smooth skin
• Meyer Lemon: Sweeter, less acidic, more round with a smooth skin, deep yellow to orange in color

If you want to use less sugar in your lemonade, go for the Meyer Lemons.  Eureka and Lisbon are most common in general cooking but are definitely more sour.

There are many different varieties of lemons, some of them quite strange looking (Buddha's Hand Lemons?!), but unless you have your own lemon tree, you're not likely to see these variations very often.

HOW TO STORE SIMPLE SYRUP

The Lemon Simple Syrup can be stored in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.  For longer storage, pour it into a sealed container and place it in the freezer.  Because the Lemon Syrup has such a high sugar content, it will not freeze completely so you will be able to scoop out the desired amount with a spoon as needed.

MORE INSTANT POT DRINKS TO ENJOY

• Infused Water
• Fizzy Water
• Frozen Crio Bru
• Golden Crio Bru (tastes great chilled!)

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT HOMEMADE LEMONADE

• Instant Pot
• Electric Juicer
• Hand Held Juicer
• Microplane / Zester
• Fine Mesh Strainer
• Cute Basket and Glass Jars plus Cute Straws
• Pourable Mason Jar Lid

Instant Pot Homemade Lemonade

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

This Instant Pot Lemonade is a breeze to make and bursts with lemon flavor so pure and bright.  Make a little or make a lot!  Serve it with lots of ice or sparkling and fizzy.

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 5 cups 1x
• Category: Drinks
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Classic Lemonade

• Zest of 5 or 6 lemons
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 5 or 6 lemons)
• ½ – 1 cup sugar (see notes)
• 3 ½ cups water or sparkling/carbonated water

Raspberry Lemonade AKA Pink Lemonade

• Zest of 5 or 6 lemons
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 5 or 6 lemons)
• ½ – 1 cup sugar (see notes)
• 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• 3 ½ cups water or sparkling/carbonated water

Peach Lemonade

• Zest of 5 or 6 lemons
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 5 or 6 lemons)
• ½ – 1 cup sugar (see notes)
• 2 peaches peeled and chopped (or 2 cups frozen peaches)
• 3 ½ cups water or sparkling/carbonated water

Instructions

1. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar to the pressure cooker pot; whisk to combine.  If making raspberry or peach lemonade, add the fruit now as well.
2. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 1 minute for Classic Lemonade and 5 minutes for Raspberry or Peach Lemonade.
3. When cooking is complete, use a quick release.  
4. Whisk the liquid, then carefully pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.  If making a flavored lemonade, press the fruit to extract as much flavor as possible.  This is now your simple syrup for making small or large batches of lemonade.
5. Pour the syrup into a pint size mason jar and store it in the refrigerator.  It’s best to chill it completely before making a batch of Lemonade.
6. To make a full batch of Lemonade, fill a pitcher with 3 ½ cups of cold water and lots of crushed ice.  Add the lemon simple syrup and stir to combine. Taste and add more water for a more mild lemon flavor, if needed.  
7. To make smaller, individualized portions, add 4 – 6 tablespoons of the lemon syrup to 1 cup of ice water or sparkling/carbonated water.  Taste and add more syrup or water to adjust the taste if desired.  Add a cute straw and enjoy!

Notes

• 1 cup of sugar results in a very sweet, restaurant-style lemonade.  A half cup is quite tart.  I like the 1/2 cup, my husband prefers the 3/4 cup, and my kid's vote was for the full cup.
• Look for lemons that are deep yellow and soft to get the most juice possible.
• If you can't find juicy, soft lemons, throw them in the microwave for 20 seconds or so and the juice will flow freely!  Be careful when you cut it open because the juice will pour out and it will be hot.
• The zest will naturally make it sweeter.
• Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
• Due to the high sugar content, the syrup may not freeze solid.  Freeze it and scoop straight from the container when using.
• Curiously, when other fruit is added to the syrup (like with the peach lemonade) the syrup freezes more solid so freeze it in ice cube trays.
• For a reduced sugar, lemony treat, go for the sparkling water with a tablespoon or 2 of lemon syrup.  It'll be cold and refreshing without being high in calorie or loaded with sugar
• The flavor options are endless here!  Blackberry, strawberry, mango, kiwi, lime, etc, etc or try a combo of different fruits

Keywords: instant pot lemonade, flavored lemonade, homemade lemonade

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