I like a lazy summer day recipe – one which doesn’t require turning on the stove or a lot of effort. Now, since you’re making homemade lemonade, you’re certainly putting in more effort than buying a jug at the store or using a powdered mix, but this is oh so worth it!
Notes on lemons/citrus + pickles:
The great news about this recipe is that you can truly use whatever citrus you have around – lemons, limes, grapefruit, or even a mix! This recipe is also an excellent use for that dried up lemon you zested that’s still hanging around in your fridge.
As for pickles, I personally love Claussen’s pickles, but you can truly use whatever your favorite pickle is here! You’re going to be straining and using most of the brine in the lemonade. I typically get about 1 cup of brine from a 24oz jar of pickles and use about ¾ of a cup in this recipe.
Pickle and/or cucumber leftovers?
Citrusy Cucumber Salad with Cilantro and Peanuts
Goat Cheese and Cucumber/Pickle Dip
Recipe Credit: Pie Bird Pies
- 2½ lbs lemons* (7-10 lemons, depending on size)
- 1 heaping cup sugar (I prefer cane sugar, for flavor.)
- 2-3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
- A dash of sea salt
- 1 bunch of fresh dill
- 1 jar of dill pickles*
The technique here is maceration: letting the lemons steep in sugar and their own juice to create a flavorful lemon syrup. I love this technique, because it requires no juicing. You simply slice the lemons (rind, peel, and all – it doesn’t matter if there are seeds either!), the long way into quarters. Why the long way? It’s easier to break down and release the juice, but if you slice the other way, don’t sweat it! All we want is for our lemons to be quartered.
In a large bowl, add one heaping cup of sugar to the lemons and press the juice out. You can do this in a number of ways, depending on your hand strength/preferences and kitchen equipment. You can simply squeeze the lemons to release the juice, use a potato masher, or even a stand mixer! If using a stand mixer, use the bread/spiral/“j” hook and mix on low. I usually throw a clean dishtowel over the whole mixer, so it doesn’t splatter sticky lemon juice everywhere.
Now, step back and let the lemons macerate – steep in the sugar, for about an hour or so. Give it a stir every once in a while. The sugar helps pull the juice from the fruit. Then, using a colander, strain off the sweet lemon syrup. This base for the lemonade is made even more flavorful by macerating the lemons with the peels, because it adds some of that bitterness and oil, deepening the citrus flavor.
Peel and slice your cucumbers (2 large or 3-4 small-medium cucumbers). Note, I often prefer to peel, or at least take a couple of strips of the cucumber peel off to reduce the bitterness here. The slicing can be a rough chop, no need to worry about paper thin or uniform slices. Salt – simply shaking a dash over the cucumber slices. Like the lemons and sugar, the salt will draw out the water from the cucumbers. Let these sit for a couple minutes.
In a large bowl or jug, muddle (squish!) your bunch of fresh dill to release the flavor. Add the salted cucumbers and the lemon syrup and let it all sit together for a while to combine flavors – you can even leave it overnight in the fridge this way.
Next, strain the dill, cucumbers, and pulp out of the lemonade concentrate. Measure the liquid and add an equal amount of water, this is a 1:1 ratio.
Now, it’s time for the pickles! Strain the brine from the pickles and add brine to taste. I usually add about ¾ of a cup, but I recommend starting with a ½ cup of brine and adding a little more at a time. It depends on my mood, sometimes I just throw the whole jar’s worth of brine in! Crunch on a pickle while you make this – there’s always time for a snack! Once the lemonade is pickle-y enough for your liking, it’s ready to drink!
Serve over ice and enjoy. I personally love a splash of rye whiskey, if you want to make a cocktail. (It’s kind of like a grown-up whiskey pickle shot). Aquavit is also an excellent pairing, due to its dill and sometimes caraway flavor.
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