PERFECT LEMONADE

By á-1459

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 15 to 18 medium lemons (3 cups juice)
• 5 cups cold water
• 1 lemon, washed and thinly sliced
• Fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

Step 1

For the sugar syrup, bring water and sugar to a boil in saucepan, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Pour into bowl. Cool. Microwave 5 or 6 lemons at a time on high 1 to 1 ½ minutes, just until warm to the touch. Cut lemons in half and squeeze juice. Discard seeds and transfer juice and pulp to a large pitcher. Repeat with remaining lemons. Stir in cooled syrup and water. Measure 1 1/2 cups lemonade mixture into a 2 cup glass measure. (Stir sliced lemon into remaining lemonade mixture; cover and set aside). Arrange one sprig of mint per cube in an ice-cube tray; pour in the 1 1/2 cups lemonade mixture. Freeze the lemonade ice cube tray 4 hours or until firm. Cover and refrigerate lemonade. Pour lemonade into tall glasses over ice cubes. Makes about 1 quarts.