I finally broke down (or rather, my 10-year-old bender finally broke down) and bought a Ninja Ultima blender — seriously, best investment for the kitchen this summer. This thing doesn’t just blend, it pulverizes! Anything and everything I put in it!
Needless to say, I’ve been on a juice and smoothie kick the last few weeks. I’m not one of those green juice gals though. I love the fruits we’ve been picking from our garden (right now, our citrus and bananas are out of control) and the farmers’ market berries I’ve been buying every other week. I’m even making my own version of the Nutty Dang, my favorite smoothie from my favorite coffeeshop in Rincón, Puerto Rico. (In fact, that was the first drink I attempted in the Ninja… but with a heaping scoop of Greek fro-yo instead of milk.)
Most days though, I’m blending up baskets of berries to pair with the bottomless lemonade coming out of the backyard. Strawberry lemonade is my favorite, though you can also make this with blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, mulberries, or even a mix of all. It’s the kind of drink you want to sip on a hot summer day and share with friends outside.
Happy Solstice!
Fresh Strawberry Lemonade
Makes 10 cups (enough to fill a pitcher)
Ingredients
For the Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
For the Strawberry Puree
2 cups strawberries, halved or quartered
1/2 cup water
For the Lemonade
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 cups water
5 strawberries, thinly sliced lengthwise
Making Your Fresh Strawberry Lemonade
To make the simple syrup, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat, and let cool.
Meanwhile, make the strawberry puree by adding the strawberries and water to a blender and pureeing until smooth.

In a large pitcher, combine the simple syrup, lemon juice, and remaining water. Pour in the strawberry puree and stir it all together. Add the strawberry slices and chill before serving.


Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

It’s the kind of drink you want to sip on a hot summer day and share with friends outside.
Ingredients
For the Simple Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
For the Strawberry Puree
- 2 cups strawberries, halved or quartered
- 1/2 cup water
For the Lemonade
- 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 5 cups water
- 5 strawberries, thinly sliced lengthwise
Instructions
- To make the simple syrup, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir until the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat, and let cool.
- Meanwhile, make the strawberry puree by adding the strawberries and water to a blender and pureeing until smooth.
- In a large pitcher, combine the simple syrup, lemon juice, and remaining water.
- Pour in the strawberry puree and stir it all together. Add the strawberry slices and chill before serving.
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38 Comments
Pamela J Sehorn
April 12, 2021 at 5:26 pmYummy! Silly question.. when’s the simple syrup go in? As needed or all in with everything else?
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Mary
May 4, 2015 at 12:56 pmYour recipes that use parts of the plant I’ve never thought of using before are my favorite! That leads me to wonder, can you use the tops of strawberries and/or leaves for anything?
Linda Ly
May 6, 2015 at 3:26 pmIf you like to make smoothies, you can certainly toss an entire strawberry (top and all) into a blender. Strawberry leaves are also edible. If you grow strawberries at home, take a bite – the leaves have a really lovely, fruity flavor. It’s advised to use completely fresh or completely dried leaves however, as the plant starts to create chemical compounds when its leaves are picked (it’s a natural part of their defense mechanism). So you shouldn’t harvest leaves and try to store them for a few days; it’s best to eat them right away. You can steep the leaves for tea to take advantage of their many medicinal benefits.
Karly Campbell
June 26, 2014 at 6:41 amThis looks SO refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day!
Linda Ly
July 2, 2014 at 2:46 pmI make some version of this almost every week! 🙂
theGardenBetty
June 24, 2014 at 11:01 amWhen these two things are in season, I make a pitcher every week! Fresh Strawberry Lemonade http://t.co/IxGcBE3of4 #smoothie #recipe
theGardenBetty
June 24, 2014 at 5:02 amA puree of strawberries sweetens a pitcher of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Fresh Strawberry Lemonade http://t.co/3I5gME7NhV #recipe
theGardenBetty
June 22, 2014 at 9:00 pmIn season now: berries and citrus for the quintessential summer cooler. Fresh Strawberry Lemonade http://t.co/nOVfnuUpDv #smoothie #recipe
theGardenBetty
June 21, 2014 at 3:00 pmHappy Solstice! Share a refreshing drink with friends on this gorgeous summer day: Fresh Strawberry Lemonade http://t.co/QTdfPgASa1 #recipe
Shannon Brown
June 21, 2014 at 8:27 amYum!!! Where’s the non-virgin recipe!
theGardenBetty
June 21, 2014 at 9:00 amBlogged on Garden Betty: Fresh Strawberry Lemonade http://t.co/DdpmaYlpSJ