Canning Lemonade (& Lemonade Concentrate)
Canning lemonade is an easy way to have fresh lemonade right on your pantry shelf.
Servings: 8 Servings, see notes for jars
Equipment
- Fine Grater or Microplane
- Canning Jars, Lids and Bands
Ingredients
Lemonade Concentrate Ratio
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup sugar
Lemonade Ratio
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 cups water do not increase beyond this dilution
Instructions
- Prepare a water bath canner, jars, and lids before beginning.
- Optional: zest the lemons into the sugar, stir, and let sit about an hour for deeper lemon flavor. The zest must be strained back out before canning, so dissolve the infused sugar into the lemon juice and strain the mixture before filling jars. Use organic lemons if using the zest.
- Juice the lemons. Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove all pulp and seeds, then measure.
- Combine the strained lemon juice and sugar in equal parts. For ready-made lemonade, add the water now as well.
- Warm the mixture gently on the stove, stirring until the sugar dissolves, until it reaches about 190 degrees F. Do not boil.
- Strain again if needed so the mixture is a clear liquid with no solids, then ladle the hot (but not boiling) lemonade into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal with two-part lids to fingertip tight.
- Process half pints, pints, and quarts for 10 minutes below 1,000 feet in elevation, adjusting for altitude (see notes).
- Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the canner 5 minutes, then remove and cool on a towel for 12 to 24 hours.
- Check seals. Refrigerate any unsealed jars for immediate use. Store sealed jars in the pantry and refrigerate after opening.
Notes
Yield: This is a ratio recipe, so scale it to your lemon supply using equal parts lemon juice and sugar. A base batch of 1 cup lemon juice and 1 cup sugar makes about 1 1/2 cups of concentrate, so 2 cups of each makes about 3 cups and 4 cups of each makes about 6 cups, or around 3 pints of concentrate. At 1 part concentrate to 3 parts water, each cup of lemon juice reconstitutes into about 3 pints of lemonade. For ready-made lemonade, add 6 cups of water per cup of lemon juice before canning, so 1 cup of each plus 6 cups of water fills about 4 pints, a slightly lighter mix you can adjust to taste.
Lemon Juice: This recipe is written for fresh lemon juice, which tastes far better than bottled and is still acidic enough to can safely. Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch and is standardized for acidity, but it can turn bitter and tinny in storage. Either way, strain the juice well so no pulp or seeds go into the jars.
Adjusting the Recipe: You can adjust the sugar freely, since it is there for flavor and not for preservation, and you can swap in honey or maple syrup if you like. Do not reduce the lemon juice. You need a minimum of 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice per pint jar, 2 tablespoons per half pint, or 1/2 cup per quart, since the lemon is what makes this safe to can. Everything must be strained to a clear liquid before canning, with no pulp, seeds, or zest left in.
Reconstituting: One pint of concentrate makes a half gallon of lemonade. Mix 1 part concentrate with 3 parts cold water, or pour a pint into a half gallon mason jar and fill the rest with cold water, then serve over ice. A half pint of concentrate makes about 2 pints. The ready-made version needs only a chill before pouring.
Storage: Sealed, processed jars keep on the pantry shelf. Refrigerate any jars that do not seal and use them first, and refrigerate after opening. This same recipe can also be frozen in freezer-safe jars; leave 1 inch of headspace so it has room to expand.
Altitude Adjustments: Process half pints, pints, and quarts for 10 minutes below 1,000 feet. Between 1,000 and 6,000 feet, process for 15 minutes, and above 6,000 feet, process for 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup prepared | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.04mg