Homemade Lemon Shake Up Recipe | NeighborFood (2024)

ByCourtney

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Get the refreshing, sweet tart taste of summer festivals in the comfort of your own home with this easy Homemade Lemon Shake Up Recipe!

Homemade Lemon Shake Up Recipe | NeighborFood (1)

Every summer, I look forward toour annual trip to the Ohio State Fair. I’ve been going to the fair since I was a little girl. Back then, I could eat a funnel cake, a huge cup of fair fries doused in vinegar, and a 16 ounce cup of Crystal Light, then hop on the Tilt a Whirl a few dozen times. These days,that would probably end badly, but I still love strolling the midway and grabbing a deep fried buckeye or roast beef sundaeto enjoy while we check out the butter sculpture and oooooh and awwww over the baby lambs.

Last year, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it to the fair since it fell on the same week as my due date. But August 1st rolled around, and though I felt like I might have to be rolled around myself, we gathered some friends and went.We had a great time touring the Agriculture building, people watching, and takinga tongue-in-cheek family photo with a corn dog at one of the many photo booths.

As it turns out, all that fair food and walking was just what our little guy needed to convince him it was time to join all the fun on the outside. I ended up going into labor that night and giving birth about 24 hours later.

Homemade Lemon Shake Up Recipe | NeighborFood (2)

Whether I’m 40 weeks pregnant or just working on my fair food baby, I always need one thing to beat the heat at the fair–a giant Lemon Shake Up. Is there anything more refreshing or summery than a shake up? Tart, sweet, and ice cold, it’s exactly what I need to get me from the Ohio tent to the livestock shows. I always considered Lemon Shake Ups a special treat reserved only for the fair and summer festivals. Then a friend of minetold me she had a recipe for them–a recipe she got from her parents, who frequent the festival circuit.

Homemade Lemon Shake Up Recipe | NeighborFood (3)

I thought there was some sort of magic involved in the lemon shake up, but it turns out it’s just good old water, sugar, lemons, and ice. Seriously, that’s it. You can make the simple syrup in advance and keep it in the fridge to have on hand any time you need an afternoon refresher. Then all you do is squeeze the juice of a lemon into a glass, add the lemon, fill with ice, top with simple syrup, cover and shake, shake, shake!

The beauty of this recipe is that you can make it as tart or as sweet as you want. I found that half a medium sized lemon was the perfect amount for an 8-12 oz. size glass. However, you can always add more lemon or more simple syrup to suit your tastes.

Homemade Lemon Shake Up Recipe | NeighborFood (4)

Because I love the fair so much, I’m happy to be able to give the gift of the fairto one lucky family! That’s right, this weekend you and your family could be enjoying one of 32 different foods on a stick, catching a pig race, or snapping photos of your adorable little one on his first pony ride at the Ohio State Fair. The fair starts tomorrow (the 27th) and runs through August 7th. I’ve got four tickets up for grabs. To enter, just hop on over to my Instagram account and leave a comment! The giveaway closes Thursday night so make sure to enter today!

Homemade Lemon Shake Up Recipe | NeighborFood (5)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 quart water
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large lemons, halved
  • Ice

Instructions

  • Bring the water to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature. This mixture can be stored in the fridge for a week or until ready to use.
  • Gather four 8-12 ounce glasses or jars with lids. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into each one then place the halves in each glass. Top with ice. Pour the sugar water over each one, to the top of the glass. Cover and then shake until thoroughly combined. Enjoy!
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    Homemade Lemon Shake Up Recipe | NeighborFood (2024)

    FAQs

    How do you make shake up? ›

    Place water in a covered shaker and squeeze lemon into it until it is completely juiced (you may like to cut the lemon pieces into quarters to do this as they are easier to handle, or use a reamer instead). Pour the sugar into the shaker and add just a few ice cubes to agitate but do not overfill your shaker.

    What ingredients are in lemon juice? ›

    Lemons contain plant compounds that provide various health benefits. These compounds include citric acid, hesperidin, diosmin, eriocitrin, and d-limonene.

    Where did lemon shake ups come from? ›

    It seems, more than anything, lemon shake-ups are a tradition born from state fair, carnival and festival culture particular to Indiana, especially that of the Indiana State Fair.

    What's the difference between lemonade and lemon juice? ›

    Lemon juice is the pure juice from the fruit itself, and is very sour. Lemonade is a refreshing drink made from the lemon juice, water and a LOT of sugar to make it palatable. Lemonade is a drink made from the juice of lemons, sugar (or other sweetener) and water. Lemon juice is the juice of lemons.

    What is an example of shake up? ›

    Examples from Collins dictionaries

    The government wanted to reform the institutions, to shake up the country. Shareholders are preparing to shake things up in the boardrooms. The jockey was shaken up when he was thrown twice from his horse yesterday.

    What tool is used to make shake? ›

    Tools to Make a Milkshake

    Blender. Ice cream scoop. Liquid measuring cup (for milk) Dry measuring cups (for ice-cream and add-ins)

    What is the formula of lemon juice? ›

    Citric Acid is a weak acid with a chemical formula C6H8O7. It can occur in two forms – monohydrate or water-free (anhydrous). This acid is usually found in citrus fruits like lemons, oranges etc.

    Why can't you use bottled lemon juice for lemon water? ›

    This is because bottled lemon juice usually contains additives and preservatives such as Sodium Metabisulphite (E223) or Potassium Metabisulphite (E224). Metabisulphites are used to preserve the natural colour of food and protect food against bacteria. They are commonly used in wine and beer making.

    Why not use bottled lemon juice in water? ›

    It's (Almost) Never Okay To Use Store-Bought Citrus Juice

    The stuff you squeeze by hand has less time to oxidize and no funny preservatives, which means its flavor is brighter and more pronounced compared to the bitter or muted bottled versions.

    What's the difference between lemonade and pink lemonade? ›

    Pink lemonade is a variant of traditional lemonades, which has an added ingredient that makes it pink. That added ingredient is often red food dye, strawberry juice, cranberry juice, or any other fruit juice that gives it a pink hue without overshadowing the lemon flavor.

    Why do people squeeze lemon on food? ›

    Regular consumption of vitamin C — an essential antioxidant nutrient — helps improve immunity, iron absorption, bone health, skin, hair, and eyes. Some people also enjoy a tangy flavour and often add lemon juice to their meals — many a time while the dish is still cooking or is steaming hot.

    What was the first lemon drink? ›

    The lemon as we know it made it to Italy around the year 200AD, and to Egypt by 700AD. Intrepid medieval drinkers may have been combining citrus with water and sugar, or honey, for any length of time, but it's in records of 10th-13th-century Cairo that the first written evidence of lemonade is found.

    Can you substitute bottled lemon juice for real lemon juice? ›

    If not otherwise stated in the recipe, if it calls for lemon juice, it means fresh lemons, and not bottled. Most recipe ingredients mean the fresh version, unless otherwise stated. Bottled lemon juice is an acceptable alternative if you have no fresh lemon to hand (well, barely tolerable rather than acceptable).

    Does Minute Maid lemonade have real lemon juice? ›

    Ingredients. PURE FILTERED WATER, LEMON JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, LESS THAN 1% OF: LEMON PULP, NATURAL FLAVORS, PECTIN, SUCRALOSE, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM.

    What type of lemon juice is best? ›

    Lemon juice can be found in various forms, including freshly squeezed, bottled, and frozen concentrate. While all types can be used in recipes, freshly squeezed lemon juice typically offers the best flavor and nutritional value.

    Is bottled lemon juice pure lemon juice? ›

    Still, when heat isn't involved, there's very little that can replace the flavor of fresh lemon juice. Why? Bottled lemon juice has additives and preservatives to make it more shelf-stable. It also sits oxidizing longer than the fresh-squeezed stuff.

    What ingredients are in lemon juice concentrate? ›

    INGREDIENTS: Lemon juice from concentrate (filtered water, lemon juice concentrate) sodium bisulfite and sodium benzoate as preservatives, natural lemon oil.

    What is the active ingredient in lemon juice that makes it acidic? ›

    The acidity of lemon juice is due chiefly to citric and malic acids. If other acids are present, they exist in very small amounts. The citric acid determined on the pure juice does not differ significantly from the amount precipitated by lead acetate.

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