When life hands you lemons, what do you make? Do you reach for the Hendricks, pouring a large G&T and adding a twist of citrus? Or do you zest and juice into a toothsuckingly sweet curd to lay hidden under swaths of marshmallowy meringue. Or do you simply smile, juice and throw together the best of the fruit bowl and garden herbs to make some modern summertime lemonades. I personally would recreate all these situations in a flash – I just can’t get enough of lemon. It’s such a simple fruit, and yet paired with a whole manner of flavours, the depth of sourness mellows to create some delicious taste sensations. Lemonade is seriously simple to make at home and can be created in seconds: juice, sugar, water, flavourings, ice, sunglasses, sunbathe. Life hands you lemons, you dang well get on with the living, drink in hand.

Each recipe makes enough for one jug of lemonade – about 3-4 servings

Pink Grapefruit Lemonade

2 lemons, zested and juiced

½ grapefruit, zested and juiced

140g caster sugar

1 pint cold water

Ice cubes

Slices of grapefruit to garnish

Place the lemon and grapefruit juice and zest, sugar and half the water in a bowl and whisk until the sugar is fully incorporated. Add the remaining water and mix thoroughly. Pour into a large jug and top up with slices of grapefruit and ice cubes.

 

Blackberry and Mint Lemonade

3 lemons, zested and juiced

140g caster sugar

1 pint cold water

A handful of blackberries, halved

A handful of mint leaves

Ice cubes

Place the lemon juice and zest, sugar and half the water in a bowl and whisk until the sugar is fully incorporated. Add the remaining water and mix thoroughly. Pour into a large jug and add the blackberries. Lightly crush the mint leaves to release their perfume and mix into the lemonade. Top up with ice cubes.

 

Thyme Lemon and Limeade

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 limes, zested and juiced

140g caster sugar

1 pint cold water

Ice cubes

A few sprigs of fresh thyme, washed and patted dry

Place the lemon and lime juice and zest, sugar and half the water in a bowl and whisk until the sugar is fully incorporated. Add the remaining water and mix thoroughly. Pour into a large jug and stir through the thyme sprigs and top up with ice cubes.