Classic Lemonade

Low FODMAP lemonade made with fresh lemon juice, a cane sugar simple syrup, and cold water.

Prep 10 min

Cook 5 min

Serves 6

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 3 medium lemons
• 3/4 cup (150 g) white cane sugar, plus more to taste
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) water, for the simple syrup
• 3 cups (about 720 ml) cold water, plus more to dilute
• Ice, for serving
• Optional: thin lemon slices and a few fresh mint sprigs (mint is low-FODMAP), to garnish

Instructions

Make the simple syrup

1. Combine the sugar and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan.
2. Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar fully dissolves, about 3 to 4 minutes. Do not let it boil hard.
3. Take the pan off the heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature.

Juice the lemons

1. Roll each lemon firmly on the counter to loosen the juice, then halve and squeeze.
2. Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve to catch seeds and pulp. You want about 1 cup.

Combine and chill

1. In a large pitcher, stir together the lemon juice, cooled syrup, and 3 cups cold water.
2. Taste and adjust: add a splash more water if it is too tart, or a spoonful more syrup if you want it sweeter.
3. Chill in the fridge, or pour over plenty of ice and serve. Garnish with lemon slices and mint if you like.

Tips & Substitutions

• No-cook version. Skip the saucepan and dissolve 3/4 cup superfine (caster) sugar directly into the lemon juice, stirring for a minute or two before adding the cold water. Superfine sugar dissolves without heat.
• Maple syrup swap. Replace the simple syrup with about 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, stirred straight into the juice and water. Maple syrup is a low-FODMAP sweetener when kept to tested servings.
• Sweeten to your taste. Lemons vary in tartness, so start with less syrup and build up. It is easier to add sweetness than to fix an over-sweet batch.
• Skip store-bought concentrate. Many bottled lemonades and mixes are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup or apple juice, both of which are high in FODMAPs. Fresh juice and plain sugar keep it clean.
• Avoid polyol sweeteners. "Sugar-free" swaps like xylitol, sorbitol, and maltitol are high-FODMAP polyols. Plain cane sugar or maple syrup work instead.
• Make it fizzy. Use sparkling water in place of some or all of the still water for a lighter, spritz-style drink.

Why This Works

• Lemon juice is low-FODMAP at 20 ml. Fresh lemon juice is low FODMAP at about 20 ml (4 teaspoons) per glass, which is what this pitcher works out to across 6 glasses. Look up lemon juice in the FODMAP Foods app to see how its rating changes with portion size.
• Cane sugar is sucrose. Plain white or cane sugar is sucrose, which is low-FODMAP and does not carry the excess fructose that trips people up.
• No honey, agave, or high-fructose corn syrup. Honey is only low at 1 teaspoon, and agave and high-fructose corn syrup are high in excess fructose. Cane sugar or pure maple syrup sweetens a whole pitcher within low-FODMAP portions.
• Nothing hidden. Made from scratch, the drink skips the apple juice concentrate, fruit blends, and polyol "diet" sweeteners that show up in packaged lemonade.

Storage

Keep the lemonade covered in the fridge for up to 4 days; give it a stir before serving, since juice and syrup can settle. For longer storage, freeze it in an ice cube tray and drop the cubes into a glass of water or sparkling water later. If you plan to keep a batch, hold the ice separate so it does not water down the pitcher.