Making Raspberry Lemonade
Prepare the simple syrup. Combine 1 cup (225 grams) of sugar and 1 cup (240 milliliters) of water in a saucepan. Cook it over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Set side and let cool.
Puree the raspberries in a blender or food processor. Keep pureeing the raspberries until you get a smooth mixture. Don't worry about the seeds yet.
Pour the raspberry puree through a fine, mesh sieve into a large pitcher. Press the back of a spoon against the sieve to get as much pulp out as possible. When you are done, discard the seeds. If you don't mind the seeds, then you can simply pour the raspberry puree into the pitcher, and omit the sieve.
Add the lemon juice and simple syrup into the pitcher. Make sure that the simple syrup has completely cooled before you add it in.
Add 4 to 6 cups (950 milliliters to 1.4 liters) of cold water into the pitcher. How much water you add will depend on how sweet or tart you want your lemonade to be. Start with 4 cups (950 milliliters) of water, give it a taste, then add more if needed.
Give it a final stir, and serve. Fill some tall glasses with ice cubes, and carefully pour the lemonade into each one. Garnish with lemon slices, raspberries, and/or mint leaves.
Making Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade
Empty a 12-ounce (340 grams) package of thawed, frozen raspberries into a blender or food processor. Make sure that you let the raspberries thaw first, or your lemonade will be too thick. If you do not have any frozen raspberries, you can use 3 cups (375 grams) of fresh raspberries instead. Frozen raspberries can be a little tart. If you prefer sweeter drinks, add ¼ cup (55 grams) of white sugar.
Add one 12-ounce (355 milliliters) can of thawed, frozen lemonade concentrate. Again, make sure that you let the lemonade thaw, or your lemonade will be too thick. If you can't find any frozen lemonade concentrate, combine 1 cup (240 milliliters) lemon juice with ¾ cup (170 grams) sugar, and use that instead.
Blend the raspberries and lemonade until evenly combined. There should be no chunky pieces. If you see any seeds, don't worry; you can strain them out.
Pour the mixture into a large pitcher. If you don't want the seeds to be in the lemonade, pour the mixture through a fine, mesh sieve. Press the mixture against the sieve with the back of the spoon to get as much of it out as possible. When you are done, discard the seeds.
Add the sparkling water just before serving. You can make the syrup ahead of time, but you should pour in the sparkling water at the last minute. The longer it sits, the less fizzy it will become. Pour carefully. The lemonade will fizz a lot!
Serve. Fill several tall glasses with ice, and carefully pour the lemonade into each. You can garnish them with lemon slices, raspberries, or even mint leaves.
Making Frozen Raspberry Lemonade
Pour the lemon juice, sugar, raspberries, and water into a blender or food processor. How much sugar you add will depend on how sweet you want your drink to be. The more sugar you add, the sweeter it will be.
Puree until smooth and the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. There should be no lumps or chunks. Don't worry if you see any seeds, however; you can strain them out.
Strain the mixture through a fine, mesh sieve, if you don't want the seeds. Press the back of a spoon against the mess to ensure that you get all the pulp out. When you are done, discard the seeds and return the mixture into the blender. If you don't mind the seeds, then you can skip this step.
Add the ice into the blender, and blend until smooth. If you have not already, return the raspberry puree to the blender, and add the ice. Pulse until everything is smooth and evenly combined.
Pour the lemonade into two cups, and serve. If you'd like, you can garnish them with mint leaves, lemon slices, or raspberries.
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