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Make this refreshing state fair treat right at home! Lemon Shake Ups are the perfect drink for spring and summer.
In California, it’s kind of lemon season all year ’round. We have varieties that thrive in winter as well as in the warmer months. I’m always looking for ways to use one of our famous state fruits.
Until a few years ago, I’d never heard of a Lemon Shake Up. Some people call them Lemon Shakers and you may see them at the state fair as a Lemonade ShakeUp. They are very popular in the Midwest.
It’s such an easy treat and the kids love to help make them. So if you’re feeling nostalgic for the fair or just have more lemons than you know what to do with, make this state fair lemonade shake up recipe!
Ingredients
- fresh lemons
- sugar
- ice
- water
- Mason jars or some other type of jar with lids for easy shaking and drinking
Instructions for making Lemon Shake Ups
Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a quart sized mason jar, a shaker, or anything else you can fill and cover tightly. It just needs to be at least 16 oz. Toss one half of the lemon in with the juice.
Add the sugar to the jar. Anything between 2 Tbsp-1/4 cup is good, depending on how tart your lemons are and how sweet you want the lemonade to be.
Fill the rest of the way with ice.
Add enough water to completely cover the ice.
Cover and shake briskly, until the sugar is mostly dissolved. It will actually turn into this wonderful, sweet “sludge” at the bottom of the cup. Drink straight from your shaker or pour into a glass. Just make sure you get all the sweet goodness out of the cup!
More great ways to use up fresh lemons:
- Classic Lemon Bars
- Easy Lemon Bread with Lemon Glaze
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Crockpot Express Lemon Curd
Lemon Shake Up
Ingredients
- 1 lemon sliced in half
- 2 tbsp sugar add more as desired, up to 1/4 cup
- 1/2 cup ice or more as needed to fill to the top of the jar
- 12 oz water estimated-just fill up the jar to the top
Instructions
- 1 lemonSqueeze the juice of one lemon into the bottom of a 16 oz jar or shaker with lid. Place 1/2 of the juiced lemon into the jar.
- 2 tbsp sugarSprinkle sugar over the lemon slice. Anything from 2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup will do, depending on how tart and large your lemons are and how sweet you want your drink to be.
- 1/2 cup ice, 12 oz waterFill the jar up to the top with ice and then add water, leaving just enough room at the top for shaking.
- Tightly screw on the lid and shake briskly until most of the sugar is dissolved. Drink directly from the jar or pour into another glass.
Nutrition
Don’t forget to pin this recipe for Lemon Shake Ups!
Post updated 3/20/2019
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Bobbie Jo Warner says
Perfection !
Marjie @ Home Again Jiggety-jig! says
This looks lovely, though live in “the fruit bowl of the nation,” we don’t grow any citrus here! :/ I drink lemon juice (from a bottle)and water every day – with some truvia. Will try your recipe. I’m guessing that lemons might be a great price right now.
Nicole Burkholder says
I had a friend from Seattle bemoaning the same fact. Sorry 🙁
Renee's Kitchen Adventures says
this looks delicious, but spring is definitely NOT in the air here. We are getting ready for record cold temps and wind chills well below -30 degrees F. yeah, negative. haha
Healing Tomato says
I love this recipe and I love SoCal weather. You are making me want to move there.
Raquel says
Yum! Looks tasty! Great seeing you at the SoFabU event last week!