Orange Lemonade Summer Drink

Orange Lemonade is a refreshing non-alcoholic drink made with fresh orange juice, cooling mint leaves, and lemon juice. Mix with any other juice or plain club soda to make this yummy summer drink.

Orange Lemonade - Summer Drink

Orange lemonade is basically a fusion non-alcoholic summer drink made with an orange flavor. Fresh orange juice along with lemonade makes it so good and refreshing.

Lemonade is a sweet and sour drink that is ample to quench the thirst on hot summer days. Adding any fruit juice or fruit infusion doubles the nutrition part also. So it becomes the healthier summer drink.

Ditch the store-bought aerated drinks that dehydrate the body even more and choose the healthier drink like this orange lemonade.

I love fruits in all forms. And especially in the summer season, we crave such cooling refreshing drinks when the temperature is at its peak with all the humid weather outside.

Why you will love this orange lemonade?

In the summer season with increasing temperature, our body tends to dehydrate. So we should drink as much liquid as possible and keep our bodies well hydrated. So drink water, juices, smoothies, etc.

Sugar keeps our energy level up whereas fruit juice and water rehydrate our body and keep us cool. And gives us nourishment in hot summers.

A way better and healthier than store-bought cold beverages.

You can customize the drink as per taste or need.

Easy and quick to prepare. Prepare the simple syrup and store it in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 weeks and whenever you need to make the drink, take it out to taste.

I have added a sprig of mint leaves crushed to the lemonade. Mint leaves add a punch of flavor to the drinks.

Read my summer cooler drink ideas here.

Is Orange Lemonade Healthy?

Orange lemonade is a healthy drink option for summer to keep us refreshing and hydrated.

Both orange and lemon are citrus fruits and loaded with vitamin C, A, along with calcium, potassium, and other nutrients. So adding fresh orange juice and lemon juice definitely have a lot of nutritional value. Orange has natural sweetness also whereas lemons contribute to more sourness in flavor.

However, the health part also depends on the sugar we are adding to the lemonade. If it has high sugar content, we have to control the portion size to make this healthy for our bodies.

Alternatively, you can also substitute sugar with healthier alternatives like sugar-free options.

Brown sugar is a considerably better alternative to white sugar. You can also use organic honey or maple syrup to replace the sugar from your diet totally.

Last but not least stevia is one of the best options to eliminate the intake of sugar. And it also makes the recipe a step easier too.

Ingredients You'll Need -

Orange Juice - Freshly squeezed orange juice for the best taste. Alternatively, you can also use concentrated orange juice. But I prefer fresh orange juice for this lemonade.

Sugar syrup - Add this as taste. Substitutes are honey, maple syrup, or stevia. Sugar syrup is a mixture of sugar and water. An equal amount of sugar and water is simmered until only all sugar melts. Then this is cooled to room temperature.

Lemon - Freshly squeezed lemon juice or concentrated lemon juice

Water/ Sparkling Water - Can also make this with club soda

Ice - lots of ice cubes to serve chilled

Mint leaves - this is optional though. mint adds a nice cool minty flavor to the drink.

How to make Orange Lemonade?

• Extract juice from fresh oranges. 
• In a large pitcher pour in the orange juice, sugar syrup, crushed mint leaves, and sparkling water. Squeeze some fresh lemons into the pitcher. Stir to mix everything well.
• Take serving glasses and add ice cubes.
• Pour the orange lemonade and add a sprig of mint leaves to garnish.

FAQs

Are lemons and oranges good for you?

Yes, lemons and oranges are citrus fruits loaded with many nutrients. These are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and many such nutrients. These are really essential for good immunity and good skin health.

How long does fresh lemonade last?

They stay good in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days. But the flavor varies a lot with the passing of time. They taste better when made fresh. Though to make it taste refreshing add some crushed mint and a few drops of fresh lemon juice while serving.

If you want to freeze the leftovers, transfer the content to an ice tray and freeze to ice. Add to any drink to add a citric flavor to it.

Can I prep lemonade ahead of time?

Yes, you can make ahead the lemonade. But consider not more than 1 day for the best flavor since they will vary in taste (lose flavors and freshness) with each passing day. Make sure not to add ice cubes as it will dilute the flavors. Add a bit of crushed mint leaves and a few more drops of fresh lemon juice (if required) to add that freshness to your drink.

Also, you can do all prep work and store the juice individually, make simple syrup, and store it. On the day, just mix everything and add ice cubes and serve chilled.

Can we add lemon to orange juice?

Yes, it's absolutely fine and safe to add lemon to the orange juice. It also creates a balance between the sweetness and tanginess of the drink. You can add the juice 50:50 or adjust them as per your taste preferences.

Tips for the best orange lemonade

If the juice has pulp, pass it through a fine mesh sieve before serving. Add some fresh mint after that.

They taste different with each passing day since they lose flavor and taste. Better is freshly made lemonade. Read the above FAQs section for some more storage and prep ideas.

Don't use store-bought juice. For best results in flavors add fresh orange juice and fresh lemon juice. They are also free from any preservatives or any chemicals that may influence the flavor of the juice. Squeeze out fresh oranges for the lemonade.

You may consider mixing different varieties of oranges for the recipe. Grapefruits, mandarines, tangerines, blood oranges, limes, etc. Their sweetness varies, so adjust as per your preference.

Consider adding sugar-free sweetener options like stevia, honey, and maple syrup for a guilt-free calorie free refreshing summer drink.

Orange Lemonade

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