State Fair Lemonade

This homemade state fair lemonade is bright, tangy, and refreshingly sweet—just like the classic version you remember from the fair, minus the wait.

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Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time3 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 18 minutes mins

Servings7 cups

This is the lemonade you remember—the one you got at the fair in a giant cup with enough ice to rattle and a slice of lemon floating on top. Bright, bold, and just sweet enough to balance the punchy tartness, this homemade version delivers everything you want from a classic fairground lemonade… without the long lines.

Ingredients You’ll Need

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Note – Fresh-squeezed juice only – No bottled shortcuts. You’ll get over a cup of pure juice from six lemons, and every drop adds to that signature fair-style tang.

How To Make The Best Lemonade

Letting the sugar sit with lemon zest for a couple of hours gives it time to soak up all those natural lemon oils—it’s what gives this lemonade that extra burst of real lemon flavor.

✔️ Roll the lemons before zesting and juicing to help burst the juice sacs inside. It will make it easier to extract more juice with less effort.

✔️ Zesting before juicing is much easier.

✔️ Using hot water to dissolve the lemon sugar mixture intensifies the flavor and ensures there’s no gritty texture.

✔️ Straining the lemonade removes pulp and zest for that classic smooth, fair-style finish.

Serving Ideas

Serve over plenty of ice with thin lemon slices. This lemonade was made for summer cookouts, backyard BBQs, porch swings, and of course, funnel cakes. Pair it with hot dogs, corn dogs, fried chicken, or anything that says “festival food.”

Add your own customizations – here are some serving ideas:

1. Toss in fresh strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries before serving. They infuse the lemonade with subtle fruitiness and look gorgeous in a pitcher.
2. Want to make it sparkle? Add a splash of soda water.
3. Need a grown-up twist? A shot of vodka or bourbon turns this into a stellar cocktail.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to two days—though good luck keeping it around that long. 🙂

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State Fair Lemonade

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This homemade state fair lemonade is bright, tangy, and refreshingly sweet—just like the classic version you remember from the fair, minus the wait.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 18 minutes minutes

Servings 7 cups

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Ingredients

  

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• 8 fresh lemons, scrubbed, rinsed and dried (Divide 6 and 2)
• 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 6 cups water (divided into 4 cups hot water and 2 cups cold water)

Instructions

 

• Place the lemons on the counter, and use firm pressure to roll the lemons. This will help loosen up the internal membranes and release more juice.
• Next zest 6 of the lemons.In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and the lemon zest. Stir and press the lemon zest into the sugar to encourage the release of the lemon oils. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow the sugar and zest to sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the sugar and lemon zest and transfer to a large heat safe bowl.
• Pour 4 cups of steaming hot water over the sugar and zest. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Slice the 6 zested lemons in half and squeeze or juice them. Set aside the lemon juice (you should get a little over 1 cup).
• Remove the cooled lemon sugar water from the refrigerator and stir in the lemon juice.
• Place a mesh strainer over another large bowl. Carefully pour the lemonade through the strainer.
• Remove the strainer and discard the pulp and zest.
• Add 2 cups of cold water and stir.
• Slice the 2 remaining lemons into thin slices.
• Add ice to a pitcher and several of the lemon slices, and pour the lemonade over the ice. Serve immediately.

Notes

• We strongly recommend using glass bowls and glass pitchers for the lemonade. Lemons are highly acidic and can etch plastic when left to sit for long periods of time.
• You can add other fresh fruits such as strawberries and raspberries to the lemonade when serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.05g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

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