Healthy Homemade Lemonade

When life gives you lemons, juice them and add whey to make the best ever lemonade that your whole family can enjoy.

You may think because it has so few ingredients that the powdered lemonade mix is an acceptable treat, but the truth is as sour as a fresh lemon.

Instead of fresh fruit, these powdered mixtures use citric acid to simulate the tart taste of lemons. And that bright yellow color? Nope, also not from lemons.

Check out the shocking list of ingredients that some of the most popular brands of lemonade:

Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid (Provides Tartness), Contains Less than 2% of Natural Flavor, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Maltodextrin, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Citrate (Controls Acidity), Magnesium Oxide (Prevents Caking), Calcium Fumarate, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Color, Yellow 5 Lake, Tocopherol (Preserves Freshness).

With summer around the corner, an all natural probiotic rich juice is an excellent way to refresh while keeping the toxins at bay.

Did you know that 80% of our immune system’s strength comes from our gut?

Consuming probiotic and enzyme enriched foods will help fortify the immune system and enhance digestion, helping reduce the stress on our entire system.

Unlike most other forms of food processing, fermentation actually adds to the nutrients of the ingredients. Lacto fermented lemonade is rich in B-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, digestive enzymes, lactase and lactic acid that fight off harmful bacteria.

This recipe yields one gallon of lemonade.

A Probiotic & Lacto-fermented Lemonade

Ingredients

juice of 12 organic lemons
1/2 cup to 1 cup of sucanat or evaporated cane sugar

1 cup of whey (the liquid kind you drain off yogurt!)
1 gallon of water

Method

Mix all your ingredients together in a one gallon glass container and stir well. Cover tightly with a lid and let sit on your counter at room temperature for two days. It is now ready to drink or refrigerate.

It may sound strange, but I recommend juicing your lemons at room temperature. Not only will be easier to press, but they will actually yield more juice that way.

Also, use a quality stainless steel hand juicer or press for juicing. They much easier to use than the plastic juicers, more environmentally friendly and far easier to clean up than a mechanical juicer.