Old-Fashioned Lemonade

Directions

1. 1
   Measure the sugar and water into a sauce pan. While stirring with a wooden spoon, bring the mixture to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Let cool slightly.
2. 2
   Add fresh squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest to the sugar syrup. Cool completely. Pour the lemonade syrup into a quart jar. Cover tightly with the lid. The syrup can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 weeks.
3. 3
   When you're read to serve the lemonade, put some ice cubes in the bottom of a glass. Our 1/4 cup of the lemon syrup over the ice cubes. Add 3/4 cup cold water or sparkling water and stir.
4. 4
   Float a thin slice of lemon and, if you like, a fresh mint leaf on top of each glass. The recipe makes enough syrup for 14 glasses of lemonade.
5. 5
   Pink lemonade: add 1/2 cup grenadine syrup to the jar of lemonade syrup and stir. Strawberry lemonade: add 2 tablespoons of puree of fresh strawberries into each glass. Limeade: Replace lemon with lime juice and lime zest.