This Vintage Lemonade Recipe Is So Good, Fans Say They’ll ‘Never Go Back to Store-Bought Again’

With all due respect to the entrepreneurs at my local lemonade stands, but what’s the deal with lemonade these days? I’m all for a worthy cause, but I think it’s time to ditch the store-bought stuff. Let’s bring back the old-fashioned, puckery, tastes-like-summer lemonade. The kind that bursts in your mouth, sort of like biting into a fresh lemon, but with just the right amount of sweetness.

Turns out, there is a very easy trick for making this style of lemonade at home, and Chef John Mitzewich was kind enough to share it with the Allrecipes community. The recipe has almost 150 reviews, with a near-perfect rating. One community member said this was “The most delicious lemonade I’ve ever had” and that they will “never go back to buying store-bought again.”

How to Make the Best Vintage Lemonade

The secret to Chef John’s “State Fair” lemonade involves zesting the whole lemons using a y-peeler and combining that zest with sugar. This fragrant mixture sits for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight. As it rests on your counter, the real magic starts. The zest infuses the sugar with lemon, giving the resulting lemonade a dimension beyond just the standard sour note.

Once your lemon sugar is ready, you add it to boiling water and let it cook until dissolved, about 5 minutes. This beautiful citrusy mixture is strained and cooled, then combined with the juice of the lemons. Once the lemon juice is added, all that is left to do is stir the mixture and chill it for at least 2 hours. This will give the lemonade time to cool down completely and will also allow the flavors to develop more fully.

3 Tips for Making the Best Lemonade

• Scrub Your Lemons Before Zesting: If your lemons are waxy, give them a scrub with baking soda and hot water before peeling so nothing interferes with the transfer of flavor to the sugar.
• Beware the White Pith: When peeling the lemons, use a sturdy y-peeler that allows you to leave the majority of the white pith behind. A little of the pith on each peel is okay, but too much and it can impart a bitter flavor. 
• Use Room Temperature Lemons: To get the most juice out of your lemons, start with room temperature lemons. Then, to get the juice flowing more freely, roll them on the counter for a few seconds before juicing. I like to use a simple reamer to make quick work of the job. 

How to Customize Your Lemonade

The best part about this recipe is that once you’ve made it a few times, it’s easy to customize. I love a super tart lemonade, so I use slightly less sugar (about 1 cup) and use eight lemons instead of six. If your finished lemonade is too sweet, add more fresh lemon juice. If it’s too sour for your liking, throw a cup or two of the lemonade in a small saucepan, and add about ½ cup of sugar or more to taste. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, then add it to your mixture and chill again. 

You can take my word for it: If you ever see a lemonade stand in my front yard, you’ll be getting this; the real deal!