For Even Better Lemonade, You Need This Type Of Lemon

There's never a bad time to kick back with a cup of lemonade. Blazing hot summer? Add a few ice cubes for an absolutely refreshing sip. Cold winter nights? Heat it slightly, and it'll help you warm up. A classic lemonade, however, can take some time to make. Lucky for you, we have a solution — use thin-skinned lemons to quickly prepare your next batch of lemonade.

Instead of halving lemons and juicing them manually, just throw (seeded) thin-skinned citrus — peel, pith, and all — into a blender and blitz. Compared to other lemons with a thicker peel, citrus varieties that have a much thinner skin and very little pith like Meyer lemons can be blended whole without having much effect on the drink. Sure, a slight tinge of bitterness is going to be there from what little pith a lemon has. But, it's going to nicely contrast the familiar sweet-and-sour profile of your lemonade. It'll also give your lemonade some body.

Not all lemons, as it turns out, are the same. The ones you'll typically find at your local grocery store are mainly Lisbon or Eureka lemons – but, even Bearss lemons. They're all known for their thick peels and sharp, mouth-puckering sourness. Meyer lemons, however, stand out for their much milder acidity and sweeter flavor, so much so that you can add raw bits straight to dishes, which is also what makes them so palatable in lemonade. And once you've taken a knife to its thin skin, you'd find Meyer lemons to have a more floral, citrusy scent than other lemons, too. 

Using Meyer lemons to make lemonade is not much different than using other thick-skinned citrus as they can simply be swapped in equal amounts. Do note, however, that your blender isn't going to pulverize the pulp of the Meyer lemon completely. After you're done blending, some of the pith and zest may be floating in the lemonade, which can simply be strained out. If you want to go the no-waste route, try puréeing leftover lemon bits into a sweet paste that can be used in all kinds of baked or drinks in need an extra zesty touch.