Easy orange lemonade

Ingredients

• 4 large oranges or freshly pressed lemonade
• 2 lemons
• 1 cup sugar, adjust according to taste.
• 4 cups water
• Ice cubes
• Fresh mint leaves, optional, for garnish.

Procedure

1. Start by juicing the oranges and lemons. Cut them in half and squeeze out the juice using a citrus juicer or a manual juicer. Collect the juice in a pitcher or a large bowl.
2. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and 1 cup of water. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved. This will create a simple syrup.
3. Pour the simple syrup into the pitcher with the orange and lemon juice. Add the remaining 3 cups of water and stir well to combine. If you prefer a less pulpy lemonade, you can strain the juice before adding it to the pitcher. Simply use a fine-mesh strainer.
4. Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness and acidity according to your preference. If you find it too sweet, you can add more lemon juice. If it's too tart, add a bit more sugar.
5. Place the pitcher in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour, allowing the flavours to meld together.
6. Once chilled, fill serving glasses with ice cubes and pour the orange lemonade over the ice.
7. Optionally, garnish each glass with a fresh mint leaf for added freshness.
8. Serve the orange lemonade immediately and enjoy!