Use This Frozen Lemonade Shortcut To Cool Down On Brutally Hot Days

Long hot days just beg for icy cold drinks, and nothing quite makes your mouth pucker in anticipation of refreshment than a tall, cool glass of lemonade. Unless, that is, you opt for lemonade of the 2.0 variety by making it frozen. While frozen lemonade may sound complicated and time consuming, you can MacGyver it in just a few minutes with a cheap and cheerful bag-in-bag method.

No need for specialized equipment, this hack is so easy (and fun) you can send the kids out to do it in the backyard. All it takes is pouring lemonade into a zip-top bag, inserting that bag into a larger zip-top bag filled with ice and plenty of salt, and then shaking it silly until it starts to freeze (aka up to 10 minutes). To keep your hands from getting too cold during the process, consider wearing gloves or wrapping the bag in a dish towel. Bonus, this icy lemonade technique is part delicious treat and part science lesson, as the salt lowers the temperature of the ice, helping to make the lemonade pleasingly slushy and super cold. Note to anyone trying this at home to just make sure the bags are properly sealed, of course.

This method works just as well with primo store-bought lemonade (which we've ranked) as it does with the homemade variety. But, the best homemade lemonade will certainly be memorable thanks to the addition of signature flavor makers like herbs (think mint and basil) or natural sweeteners like honey. To push the boundaries of lemonade as you know it, you can even roast the lemons for a deeper flavor and extra citrusy punch.

To give your lemonade even more unexpected pop, double down on the tart factor, a la the popular Disneyland concoction, by adding pickle juice to your elixir. Whether you incorporate ingredients like pickle juice, herbs, or other juices like cranberry that make your mouth water with their mere mention, the bag-in-bag treatment remains the same. You could even add tea and go the appealing Arnold Palmer route. Bottom line, whether you send your young minions outside to do your bidding or take a mid-day break to literally shake your stress out, a delectable frozen lemonade is only a couple bags and some energy to burn away.