Learn all about canning lemonade right at home! Home canned lemonade is a refreshing treat that is easy to make.
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It’s late winter here on the homestead. The seeds are ordered and the Spring garden is planned out. I can get a little restless this time of year, since everything outside is dormant. Thankfully, I can count on our trusty citrus trees to perk up the garden when everything else is dormant.
Not only are the lemons, mandarins, and oranges pretty they serve many purposes here on our homestead. Home canned lemonade is one of our kiddos favorite though! We only make canned lemonade when we have more than what we need after freezing lemon juice. Often times, because pantry space is limited I opt for making canned lemonade concentrate. Which is similar to this recipe, only the water isn’t added until serving time.
I often double this recipe but if you make only one batch you will have 4 pints of ready-made lemonade, and each pint will have about 1/4 cup of lemon juice.
Simply open the jar and pour over ice when you are ready for an ice cold glass of lemonade during the hot summer months!
Tools you’ll need for canning lemonade
- Water bath canner
- Jar Lifter
- Magnetic wand
- Jar Funnel
- Kitchen towels
- Sieve
- Pint, half pint, OR quart jars.
Canning Lemonade vs. Canning lemonade concentrate
Canning lemonade means that the lemonade is going to be canned and ready to drink straight from the pantry shelf (after chilling of course!) Home canned lemonade concentrate means that what is canned is only lemon juice and sugar, so the water needs to be added after it is canned, right before serving.
If you are wanting to save space on your pantry shelves consider canning lemonade concentrate. I have a great recipe for you here. If you are wanting to make a ready made lemonade for the shelf, you are in the right place!
Ingredients you’ll need for canning lemonade
- 1 cup lemon juice from freshly squeezed lemons
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 cups water
How to can lemonade
- Wash and sterilize jars.
- Juice the lemons into a pitcher. Then, strain the juice to remove pulp and seeds and then measure the resulting juice. I like to use the size jar that I will be canning in.
- Measure a one to one ratio of sugar to lemon juice (fore every one cup of lemon juice, add 1 cup of sugar) and pour into a large pot on the stove.
- Gently warm the lemon juice and sugar mixture on the stove, in a large pot. Do not boil, just dissolve the sugar.
- Ladle the hot but not boiling lemonade mixture into prepared canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean dish towel. Seal with 2 part canning lids to finger tight.
- Half pints, pints, and quarts are all processed for 10 minutes (below 1,000 feet in elevation.)
- Remove the jars with a canning jar lifter to a dish towel spread out on the counter.
- Wait 12 to 24 hours, then check seals. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use. Properly canned and sealed jars may be stored in the pantry. Refrigerate after opening.
Serving Suggestions
- Make sure to serve over ice.
- Garnish with a lemon slice
- Add fruit like fresh blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries
- Serve with a decorative straw
Canning lemonade tips
- Strain the pulp. Pulp might become bitter after it is canned. Make sure to not skip this step. The result will be a smooth clean lemonade.
- Use fresh lemon juice. This recipe is specifically designed for fresh lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice often times has additives, that wouldn’t suit this recipe.
- Do not check seals until jars are completely cool.
- Label the lids with the contents and the year. Always label! You might thing you’ll remember what you’ve canned, but when you do as much canning as I do it can be easy to forget!
Bottled lemon juice vs. fresh lemon juice
Bottled lemon juice can be used for this recipe, but it is not recommended. For best results use fresh lemon juice. Fresh lemon juice does have pulp that will need to be strained so it is a bit more work, but totally worth it. Bottled lemon juice can contain additives that can give this lemonade an off flavor.
Commonly asked questions
Can I can homemade lemonade?
Yes! Homemade lemonade can be canned in a water bath canner. Just make sure to strain out the lemon pulp before canning into clean sterilized mason jars.
Can you water-bath lemonade?
Yes, lemon juice is acidic, which means it canned be water bath canned.
Is it better to can lemonade concentrate or can lemonade?
Canning lemonade means that it is ready to pour over ice, so it is a bit more convenient. However if you have a large amount of lemons you are hoping to process, canning lemonade concentrate saves more space in the pantry. You’ll just need to add the water later.
How do you make lemonade shelf stable?
Lemonade is made shelf stable by water bath canning. Lemonade concentrate and canned lemonade are both shelf stable.Lemonade concentrate that can be mixed with water later.
Can lemon juice be canned?
Yes. Lemon juice is what helps preserve many less acidic fruits and vegetables, so it by itself can be water bath canned.
What size jar should I can lemonade in?
Use either half-pints, pints, and quart jars to make lemonade. Whatever you have on hand will do! As long as it is clean and sterilized with new canning lids.
Related articles:
Home-Canned Lemonade Concentrate
How to Get Started Canning for Beginners
Boysenberry Lemonade Popsicles
How to Get Canning Done With Kids
Home Canned Lemonade
Learn all about canning lemonade right at home! Home canned lemonade is a refreshing treat that is easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 cup lemon juice from freshly squeezed lemonsÂ
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Wash and sterilize jars.
- Juice the lemons into a pitcher. Strain the juice to remove pulp and seeds and then measure the resulting juice. I like to use the size jar that I will be canning in.
- Measure a one to one ratio of sugar to lemon juice (fore every one cup of lemon juice, add 1 cup of sugar) and pour into a large pot on the stove.
- Gently warm the lemon juice and sugar mixture on the stove, in a large pot. Do not boil, just dissolve the sugar.
- Ladle the hot but not boiling lemonade mixture into prepared canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean dish towel. Seal with 2 part canning lids to finger tight.
- Half pints, pints, and quarts are all processed for 10 minutes (below 1,000 feet in elevation.)
- Remove the jars with a canning jar lifter to a dish towel spread out on the counter.
- Wait 12 to 24 hours, then check seals. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use. Properly canned and sealed jars may be stored in the pantry. Refrigerate after opening.
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