hot days, cold drinks: fresh squeezed lemonade

one of the things that i love about southern california is the proliferation of fruit trees in people's yards.  when we moved into the house we currently live in, i was so happy to discover that we had a lemon tree in the back yard.  with this tree, we are able to have fresh lemon juice almost year round for a number of homemade treats, such as salsa, hummus and lemon-herb baked fish.

but by far my favorite use for these lemons is to make homemade lemonade.  in the summer i try to keep lemonade in the fridge as often as possible.  i love drinking it after i come home from a summertime walk with the girls when i am all sweaty and need something to quench my thirst and cool down.

fresh-squeezed lemonade

10 cups of filtered water
1 1/2 cups of lemon juice (you will need 6-10 lemons to get this much juice, depending on their size)
approx. 50 drops of stevia, more or less to taste (we like our lemonade on the less-sweet side)
a tiny pinch of sea salt (optional- but this really makes the flavor pop)

1. combine all ingredients in a pitcher and stir to mix.  allow to chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

if you are impatient, you can pour it over ice to drink it right away, though this will dilute the flavor slightly. :)

if you are serving the lemonade to guests, add a few slices of lemon for visual appeal- and so that they know you are serving REAL lemonade, the good stuff!

click here for the next recipe in the series: coconut iced chai