Stop the Madness with Lemon Syrup

If you have a lemon tree in your backyard you will know what I am going through. Our one lemon tree produces enough lemons for my entire neighborhood.  Too bad EVERY house in my neighborhood has a lemon tree.

So, if you have any suggestions on what to do with all my lemons, PLEASE forward them to me. I am always looking for ways to use them because man (or woman) cannot live on Lemon Bars alone…

Well, I probably could but that wouldn’t be wise.

Fortunately, I do have a suggestion for an abundance of lemons.

Jamie is home.  Which means marathon kitchen sessions of baking, cooking, and CLEANING.    We picked a bunch of lemons and made a stupid easy lemon syrup that we keep in the fridge for lemonade, drinks, lemon tea, just about anything that needs some sweet lemon goodness.  It keeps for at least a month and is a fabulous way to make use of all those lemons.  I have had a cold for the past week (feels like forever) and my go-to comfort drink has been a steaming cup of tea and a couple of tablespoons of lemon syrup.

Counting down: Top Five List of Ways to Use Your Homemade Lemon Syrup

5. As mentioned, a couple of tablespoons in a steaming hot cup of tea, so good.

4. Drizzled on berries and yogurt for a morning kickstart

3. Drizzled on pound cake for that extra zip

2. LEMONADE, nothing better on a hot summer day but a tall ice cold glass of lemonade-oh yeah.  This is a mandatory summer fridge item.

• Tall glass, Ice,1 part lemon syrup  to 3-4 parts water, to taste… ahhhhhhhh, garnish with a sprig of mint or basil, life is good, drink lemonade

1. LEMON DROPS for Happy Hour  (or any hour)

• 2 ounces lemon syrup, 1/2 ounce triple sec, 2-ounce vodka.  Take a martini glass, dip rim in lemon juice then into granulated sugar.  If you are cool enough to already own a cocktail shaker ( I want one), pour vodka, triples sec, lemon syrup into the shaker with ice.  Shake, shake, shake.  Strain into martini glass. ENJOY.

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Stop the Madness with Lemon Syrup

Ingredients

Adapted from Taste of Home.

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 cups lemon juice about 16 lemons
• 2 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Instructions

• In a 1-1/2-qt. heat-proof container, dissolve sugar in boiling water. If necessary heat on stove to dissolve sugar. Cool.
• Add lemon juice and zest; mix well.
• Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Although I have a jar in my fridge that has been there for a month, still delish!
• Yield: 5-1/2 cups syrup (number of batches varies depending on concentration of lemonade).
• When using the syrup, pour through a strainer to remove the pulp or zest. I'm a pulp girl so I generally don't bother staining the syrup.
• To prepare lemonade: For 1 serving, combine 1/4 to 1/3 cup syrup and 3/4 cup cold water in a glass; stir well. For 8 servings, combine 2-2/3 cups syrup and 5 cups cold water in a 2-qt. pitcher; stir well. Yield: 1 serving.

Variations on a theme.  You could use Meyer Lemons cutting back the sugar a tad.  You also use limes or a combination of lemons and limes.  Its up to you!  Enjoy!