Blood Orange Lemonade (Printable Version)
Vibrant citrus drink blending sweet-tart blood oranges with fresh lemon. Ready in 10 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Citrus
01 - 1 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice (from about 4–5 blood oranges)
02 - 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
→ Sweetener
03 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar (or to taste)
04 - 1/2 cup water (for dissolving sugar)
→ To Serve
05 - 3 cups cold water or sparkling water
06 - Ice cubes, as needed
07 - Blood orange and lemon slices, for garnish (optional)
08 - Fresh mint leaves, for garnish (optional)
# Method:
01 - Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
02 - In a large pitcher, combine freshly squeezed blood orange juice and lemon juice, stirring to blend evenly.
03 - Pour the cooled sugar syrup into the citrus mixture. Stir thoroughly to incorporate the sweetness throughout the juice base.
04 - Add 3 cups cold water or sparkling water to the pitcher. Stir well to combine all ingredients into a homogeneous lemonade.
05 - Taste the lemonade and adjust sweetness or acidity as desired by adding additional sugar or citrus juice as needed.
06 - Fill serving glasses with ice cubes and pour the lemonade over the ice. Garnish with blood orange slices, lemon slices, and fresh mint if desired. Serve immediately.
# Chef's Tips:
01 -
- The color alone stops people in their tracks and makes any moment feel special
- Blood oranges bring this complex berry-like sweetness that regular oranges just cant match
02 -
- The syrup really does need to cool before mixing it with the juices, otherwise it might separate or give you weird texture
- Blood orange season is short, so when you see those gorgeous fruits at the market, buy more than you think you need
03 -
- Room temperature fruit yields way more juice than cold fruit straight from the fridge
- Strain the pulp if you want it crystal clear, but I always leave some in for texture and that beautiful color