Mimi’s Strawberry Lemonade

With heat waves rising, nothing says summer quite like a sweet sip of strawberry lemonade. This thirst-quenching beverage has been a staple in my family’s kitchen since childhood. Perfectly balanced with the right amount of sweetness, it makes the perfect addition to any backyard barbecue, pool party, or simple summer gathering.

Every summer, my mom would barbecue out in the backyard and whip up a pitcher of this strawberry lemonade. She drew her inspiration for this recipe when we visited Mimi’s Cafe in California in the early part of the 2000s. She absolutely fell in love with it, asked a few questions, and began perfecting her recipe back home in Georgia. It became so popular amongst family and friends she would offer to bring this refreshing lemonade to any social gathering like the southern woman that she is. It’s always been a classic. It’s always been around to the point where I included the recipe in my first grade class cookbook. I cannot find that cookbook to save my life, but it did exist. I promise.

The Formula and Ingredients

This beat-the-heat summer drink is super simple to make as it follows a basic formula and includes just 4 ingredients. By using the formula and ingredients below, you’ll wonder how something so refreshing and balanced can be made so quickly.1 part lemon juice to 1 part strawberry puree to 2 parts water

1 part lemon juice to 1 part strawberry puree to 2 parts water

Strawberries: The flavor behind this sweet lemonade. You can easily pick up fresh strawberries from the grocery store or your local farmer’s market during peak season. Wherever you source them from, sweet and juicy strawberries just help make this recipe what it is. 

Lemons: Obviously, lemons are the main base of this recipe. I prefer to get larger lemons, ones that pack a lot of juice to them. Often times, I can find like a 3 lb. bag for great price at Costco. 

Sugar: While the strawberries already add some sweetness, a little sugar provides an additional balance to the tart lemons. You can use other types of sugar, but I believe pure cane sugar adds the most natural flavor without the extra additives. 

Water: A necessity to this recipe for two primary reasons. First, it helps balance everything out allows every element to shine equally. Second, it helps to fully dissolve the sugar prior to mixing with the other ingredients. 

Variations

There are obviously many variations that you can do to this recipe such as substituting for different fruits like white peaches, raspberry, or blackberry. You can also combine the strawberry puree with other items like cucumber or mint. As long as you’re using the same ratio for the strawberry lemonade that you would use for others, the sky’s the limit. It’s all about making sure you balance out that ratio. If you want to spice it up and make the lemonade more sophisticated, you can add vodka, sparkling wine, or prosecco for an extra kick.

Mimi’s Strawberry Lemonade

5 from 1 vote

With heat waves rising, nothing says summer quite like the sweet sip of strawberry lemonade. This thirst-quenching beverage is perfectly balanced and makes for a great addition to any backyard barbecue, pool party, or simple summer gathering.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8 glasses

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Calories: 61

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups Lemon Juice about 10-12 lemons, freshly squeezed
• 1 lb Fresh Strawberries hulled and pureed, 2 cups
• 1 cup Pure Cane Sugar
• 4 cups Water

Equipment

• 1 Pitcher
• 1 Citrus Press or Juicer
• 1 Blender

Method

 

1. Cut lemons in half. Using a juicer or citrus press, juice the lemons until you have 2 cups of lemon juice.
2. With a sharp knife, hull the strawberry and place into a blender. Blend for approximately one minute on medium speed until pureed and smooth.
Depending on your blender, you may need to add ½ a cup of water to better puree your strawberries.
3. In a separate glass, combine 1 cup of hot water to 1 cup of sugar. Stir quickly until sugar has completely dissolved, making a simple syrup mixture.
4. Combine the lemon juice, strawberry puree, simple syrup mixture, and remaining 3 cups of water into the pitcher. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve over ice.

Notes

This recipe is easy to change and offers many variations. Combine with fresh mint, cucumbers, or other fruits, such as peaches or raspberries. To make an more elevated adult beverage, try adding in vodka, sparkling wine, or prosecco.