Camp Lemonade

Camp lemonade is one of the best recipes for making lemonade on the go. Kids love to help make it at camp, in the yard or boat or anywhere, really — and it’s really simple. Preparing the lemons and portioning the sugar ahead of time will help save time at camp or on the boat, but it’s not necessary.

The recipe is a guideline, and you can add more or less of each item to fit your taste. Pack everything in a small cooler to bring anywhere, and keep a gallon jug of water handy for cold water or fill a travel thermos.

Ingredients:

7 lemons, halved

3/4 cup sugar

3 1/2 cups cold water

Directions:

Start by cutting one of the lemons in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into thin semicircles. Put half of the lemon pieces into the pitcher and half into a bowl.

Add 3/4 cup of sugar to the bowl and use a potato masher, the back of a spoon or even the bottom of a clean bottle to mash the sugar and lemon slices together until the sugar is wet. This may take a minute or two.

Set the bowl aside and cut the remaining lemons in half crosswise and squeeze by hand or with a hand-held juicer into a large cup or bowl. When all of the lemons have been squeezed, you should have at least a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Be sure to remove any seeds.

Pour the juice along with 3 1/2 cups of cold water into the bowl with the sugared lemon slices. Stir for a minute or until all the sugar has dissolved. I like to leave the lemon slices in the lemonade, but you can remove them if you like.

You can now strain the lemonade into a pitcher or just leave it in the bowl. Pour or ladle the lemonade into tall glasses or plastic cups and add some ice and any garnish the family or kids might like, such as maraschino cherries, pineapple slices or extra lemon slices.

The lemonade will keep in the refrigerator or a well-chilled cooler for several days.

Yield: 6

Prep time: 20 to 25 minutes

Enjoy and Go Outside!