If you like lemonade, and you happen to stumble across 4 lbs of meyer lemons (for example, seasonally at your local Costco), you should definitely try this! Meyer lemons are less harsh than typical supermarket lemons, and make a delicious lemonade for drinking straight-up, or as a mixer for cocktails. Think of squeezing lemons as a fun cold-day activity. Personally, it makes me feel a little closer to spring!

Ingredients

• One 4-lb bag of meyer lemons (12-15 lemons)
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar plus more to taste
• 1-1/2 cups filtered hot (120F) water, plus additional 2-4 cups of filtered cold water
• pinch of diamond kosher salt, to taste

Directions

1. First, make an oleo saccharum. Rinse and dry the lemons. Carefully remove the yellow rind from each lemon using a vegetable peeler, excluding as much of the white pith as possible.
2. Combine the yellow peels with 1-1/2 cups of granulated sugar in a seal-able container. Massage & muddle the sugar into the peels for about 7 minutes, or until the peels start to look wet or shiny. I use a food-safe glove and find that pressing the peels down into a flat-bottomed container with my fist via a slow punching method is an efficient approach. Gently scrape any sugar stuck to your hands or glove back into the container, and seal. Let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours or even overnight. We tested this recipe at 6 hours.
3. While the peels are resting, cut all the lemons in half and proceed to juicing. Strain into a second airtight container, seal and store in the fridge. Note that when straining, a little pulp is fine; adjust to your preference.
4. When the oleo saccharum has rested for 6 hours, you are ready to make lemonade. Use a container that can hold about 3 quarts or 3 liters of liquid.
5. Heat 1-1/2 cups of the filtered water to ~120F (hot). Combine the hot water and oleo saccharum in your large container. Stir gently until the sugar dissolves.
6. Remove the peels (squeeze and strain all that goodness back into the container), and discard.
7. Add your chilled lemon juice to the same large container. If you want it very smooth, pour through a fine strainer to remove any remaining pulp or sediment. Stir briefly to combine.
8. Next, adjust flavor by adding water (start with 2 cups), and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust with water, sugar, or salt. If you plan to serve diluted or mixed into another liquid, make sure to adj for that, too.
9. Once you’ve achieved your desired tartness or sweetness, refrigerate the golden goodness until ready to serve.
10. Serve over ice!