Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade

Steps

1. 1

   In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, 1 1/4 cups water, and lemon peels.

2. 2

   Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves.

3. 3

   Turn on low heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

   Start 5-minute timer
4. 4

   Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the syrup to steep for 15 minutes.

   Start 15-minute timer
5. 5

   In a blender, combine the diced pineapple, 1/4 cup of cold water, and the strawberries.

6. 6

   Blend until the fruit mixture is completely smooth.

7. 7

   Strain the puree 1-2 times through a fine-mesh sieve, depending on how thick you want the final drink to be.

8. 8

   In a large pitcher, combine the strained pineapple-strawberry puree, the freshly squeezed lemon juice, and the prepared simple syrup.

9. 9

   Stir the mixture well to combine.

10. 10

    Stir in the remaining 2 cups of cold water to dilute the lemonade to your desired strength and sweetness.

11. 11

    Taste the lemonade; add more lemon juice if you prefer more tartness or more syrup if you prefer it sweeter.

12. 12

    Serve over ice.