Avoid Crunchy Lemonade With This Easy Sugar Swap

A cool glass of lemonade on a hot summer day is perfection. The tangy lemon flavor mixed with a scoop of sugar is the perfect balance of sweet and refreshing, and is as good in a five-star restaurant as it is under the sun, next to the pool. 

You likely already know some of the secrets to making the best lemonade at home, like how adding a pinch of salt goes a long way to elevate lemonade by eliminating any bitterness from the lemons while also helping the drink's natural acidity shine. Another important tip when it comes to crafting a fantastic glass of lemonade in your kitchen is to use simple syrup to sweeten the drink instead of scooping granulated sugar directly into cold liquid. Using simple syrup eliminates the crunchy textures that some lemonades get as granulated sugar sinks to the bottom of the pitcher without fully melting. Be sure to taste along the way as you add simple sugar to your drinks, as it's always easier to add more than it is to un-sweeten a drink. 

Making simple syrup is easy, and adding aromatics and herbs to it during the boiling process can help you create a lemonade that would fit right in at an upscale corner cafe. Try adding citrus peels (orange can be especially tasty) to your simple syrup while it's boiling to infuse the essential oils in the peel. Infusions can give simple syrup a tasty upgrade, lending your lemonade an interesting, unexpected twist. 

You can also try adding aromatics like basil, mint, or lavender to your simple syrup to create an herby, fresh taste. Ginger too can work well to add some spice. Get creative and use a bit of the aromatic or fruit that you infused into the simple syrup as a garnish for your lemonade. Moreover, these syrups are also delicious when added to hot or iced tea. The sky is the limit — just be sure to allow your simple syrup to fully cool down before adding it to icy drinks so that it doesn't melt the ice cubes and water down your lemonade.