Homemade Lemonade
Wash lemons and peel off all the zest using a vegetable peeler. Set peeled
lemons aside.
Add the lemon zest to a bowl and cover with sugar: 60 mL sugar per lemon's
worth of zest. Toss to combine.
Cover and let sit for a minimum of two hours, or up to overnight. Some sugar
will dissolve, producing lemon essential oil, which enhances the taste.
Bring water to a boil in a pot over high heat; turn off heat and pour in the
lemon-sugar mixture. Stir and let sit until the sugar is completely dissolved,
about 5 minutes.
Alternately you can boil water in a kettle and pour over the lemon-sugar
mixture if the mixture's container is large enough.
Pour through a mesh strainer back into the same bowl and discard the zest. Let
cool to room temperature.
Cut the lemons and squeeze into the bowl.
I cut the lemons into quarters, then use a citrus squeezer to extract maximum
juice.
Pour lemonade into a serving pitcher. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill thoroughly
before serving over ice, at least 2 hours.