Can you use frozen berries instead of fresh?

Yes, you can easily use unsweetened frozen berries instead of fresh for this lemonade recipe. Because you will be cooking the berries together with the sugar, you don't even need to thaw them first. Just add them to the pot with the sugar and a small splash of water (about 1 - 2 tablespoons) and cook as directed. However, you will need to cook the berries for about 8 - 9 minutes , rather than the 5 minutes called for in the recipe, to reach the desired consistency (juicy and starting to break down).

Do I have to use all three types of berries?

No, you don't have to use all three types of berries to make berry lemonade! As I mentioned in the Ingredient substitution ideas section, you could replace one type of berry with an equal proportion of another , for example, using 12 ounces of blackberries instead of 6 ounces of raspberries and 6 ounces of blackberries. Or, you could even just use one type of berry, as long as you have the same total amount of berries called for in the recipe (20 ounces).

Can I make berry lemonade ahead of time?

Yes! In fact, if you want the lemonade to be cold, you will need to make it at least a couple hours ahead of time, to give it time to chill in the fridge. (Total chilling time will depend on how cold the water was that you added, as well as how cold your fridge is.) This homemade lemonade will keep in the fridge (covered!) for 3 - 4 days . If needed, you can give the lemonade a quick shake or stir before serving.

What tastes good with lemonade?

Lemonade is such a classic summer drink, it pairs perfectly with other quintessential summer or picnic foods. For example, you can serve lemonade with: hamburgers and hotdogs, grilled chicken , pasta or potato salad, or sandwiches! Homemade lemonade would also be a great drink option for brunch, as an alternative to the more standard orange juice. Try it with my recipe for vanilla muffins ! Other great pairings for brunch include scones, quiche, fruit salad, bagels, or avocado toast.

Berry Lemonade

Name: Berry Lemonade
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 ounces (227 g) strawberries; 6 ounces (170 g) blackberries; 6 ounces (170 g) raspberries; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 1 cup (237 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 - 5 large lemons); 2 1/2 - 3 cups (591 - 710 ml) cold water

Berry Lemonade

Print Recipe

An easy to make homemade lemonade with a beautiful berry twist!

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: drinks
Method: stove top
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

8 ounces (227 g) strawberries
6 ounces (170 g) blackberries
6 ounces (170 g) raspberries
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (237 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 - 5 large lemons)
2 1/2 - 3 cups (591 - 710 ml) cold water

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Instructions

Rinse all the berries. Remove the stems from the strawberries and cut them into large chunks.
In a medium saucepan, stir together the strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and sugar.
Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries are very juicy and starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Use an immersion ("stick") blender to blend the berries in the saucepan. The berries do not need to be perfectly smooth, just broken down into very small pieces. Alternatively, mash the berries very well using a potato masher.
Pour the berry mixture into a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon to press the berry mixture into the mesh to help it strain faster. Stop once most of the liquid has been removed and you can see mostly berry seeds and pulp. You should have about 1 2/3 cups liquid.
Place the berry mixture into the fridge to begin cooling. Meanwhile, juice the lemons and pour the 1 cup lemon juice into a pitcher.
Remove the berry mixture from the fridge. (It does not need to be perfectly chilled at this point, just no longer hot). Add it to the pitcher with the lemon juice.
Stir in 2 1/2 - 3 cups of water, to taste (see note 3). Place lemonade in the fridge until chilled. The lemonade will keep well in the fridge, covered, for 3 - 4 days.

Notes

Feel free to use different proportions for the berries listed, or use only one or two types of berries instead of three. Just make sure you are using a total of 20 ounces (567 g) of berries in the recipe.

You can also substitute unsweetened frozen berries for fresh berries. Because you will be cooking the berries together with the sugar, there is no need to thaw them first. Just add them to the pot with the sugar and about 2 tablespoons of water. Cook over medium high heat for 8 - 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the desired consistency is reached (juicy and starting to break down).

The amount of water you wish to add will depend on your personal taste and how you want to serve the lemonade. Adding the lesser amount of water will result in a more concentrated lemonade with a stronger flavor. This is a good option if you want to serve the lemonade on a hot day with lots of ice, as the ice will dilute the lemonade as it melts.

The total volume of lemonade this recipe makes is approximately 5 1/2 - 6 cups, depending on how much water you use in the recipe. If you need a larger amount, you can easily double or triple the recipe! Depending on the size of your strainer and how much you are making, you may need to strain the berry puree in two batches.

The nutrition information below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator; the nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brand and exact amounts of ingredients used. This nutrition estimate should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
Calories: 174
Sugar: 38.7 g
Sodium: 9 mg
Fat: 0.8 g
Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
Carbohydrates: 43.2 g
Fiber: 4.3 g
Protein: 1.3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: lemonade, berry lemonade

Find it online: https://nibbleanddine.com/berry-lemonade/