As I mentioned my post a few weeks ago, I’m a huge fan of homemade lemonade and lately I’ve been falling back on my mom’s foolproof recipe for when I need a little fix. The best part about her simple recipe is that it’s so easy to customize–I’ve been trying out a few new twists on the classic lemonade, like a strawberry version–and my new favorite, blueberry.

You’ll Need:

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups lemon juice (at least 12 fresh lemons)
• zest of one lemon
• one cup fresh blueberries

Combine the water and sugar in a pan over high heat. Bring the mixture to a strong boil, stirring on occasion. Once the sugar has dissolved, continue to boil for an additional two minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice and lemon zest. This is the syrup that will serve as the base of your lemonade. Let sit for at least a half hour.

While the syrup is cooling, you’re going to want to reduce your blueberries down on the stove. Place a cup of blueberries in a pan with one cup of water, one cup of sugar and the juice of half a lemon. Bring the mixture to a boil, reducing the heat once the sugar has melted and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes.

Once the mixture has reduced down and is a deep shade of purple, pour it through a fine mesh strainer and into a bowl. The end result is a sweet fruity syrup that you’ll use to flavor your lemonade base.

The proportions for mixing up the lemonade remain the same whether you’re making a single glass or a bottle (like I did). Fill your bottle (or again, your glass) a third of the way with the lemon syrup. Add water and ice until full. Stir in several spoonfuls of the blueberry syrup–the more you add, the deeper the color and stronger the flavor. Serve cold with a lemon slice at a BBQ this weekend–the perfect welcome to the long-awaited summer days!

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