How many lemons do I need per litre?

About 4 lemons per litre is the standard ratio for a well-flavoured lemonade. Each lemon yields roughly 45ml of juice. If your lemons are particularly small, use 5-6 per litre; if they are large and juicy, 3-4 may suffice.

How do I get the most juice from lemons?

Roll the lemon firmly on the worktop before cutting to break the internal membranes. Microwaving for 10-15 seconds also helps. Cut in half and use a citrus juicer or reamer. Room temperature lemons yield more juice than cold ones.

How long does homemade lemonade last?

Fresh lemonade keeps for 5-7 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Without preservatives, it will start to lose its freshness after a few days. For longer storage, make a lemon syrup concentrate (without water) that keeps for 2-3 weeks.

Yes, replace some or all of the still water with sparkling water. Add the sparkling water just before serving so it stays fizzy. You can also make a concentrated lemon syrup and top up with soda water when ready to drink.

Adding lemon zest to the sugar before mixing creates a more aromatic lemonade. Muddle the zest into the sugar, let it sit for 30 minutes, then add the hot water to dissolve. This extracts the essential oils from the zest.

BakeCalcs

Lemonade Calculator

Calculate lemon, sugar, and water quantities for homemade lemonade by batch size.

Batch Size

SweetnessCaster sugar per litre: Light 75 g, Standard 100 g, Sweet 150 g

How We Calculate This

The calculator uses the classic ratio of 4 lemons per litre of lemonade, with adjustable sugar levels. Your Batch Size is the finished volume: the lemon juice makes up part of it, so the water figure is the remainder once the juice is accounted for. That way a 1 litre batch really makes about 1 litre.

Base Recipe (per litre of lemonade)

4 lemons (juiced) — roughly 180 ml of juice
100g caster sugar (standard sweetness)
About 820 ml water (the rest of the litre, minus the juice)

Method

Dissolve sugar in a small amount of hot water to make a syrup
Juice the lemons and strain out seeds and pulp
Combine syrup, lemon juice, and remaining cold water
Chill thoroughly before serving over ice

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are based on standard ratios and conversions. Results may vary with specific ingredients, equipment, and conditions.