As temperatures continue to rise and summer break is mere weeks away, I find myself fanaticizing about foods I want to make: hamburgers on the grill, watermelon salad, strawberry tarts, homemade ice-cream, and lemonade. Is there anything more quintessentially Southern than spending a hot summer afternoon on the porch with an ice cold glass of sweet tea or lemonade? I’ve had many glasses of sweet tea that are so full of sugar you would get cavities on the spot. How sweet or tart you like your drinks is a personal preference. That’s why I love citron pressé – the French approach to lemonade.

What Is Citron Pressé?

In France, citron pressé, is essentially deconstructed lemonade. You, as the hostess, provide all of the individual ingredients, and let your guests mix their own drink to suit their individual tastes. Do you like your lemonade extra sweet, or do you prefer it a bit more tart? Making citron pressé at home is an interactive way for everyone to enjoy the moment and refreshments. 

Should you be spending the afternoon solo, no worries! You can make a single glass of citron pressé without the worry of wasting ingredients. A jar of homemade simple syrup will keep in your refrigerator for 1-2 weeks, and the fresh lemon juice will last 2-3 days.

Ingredients You Will Need

To make citron pressé, you need four simple ingredients: water, ice, lemons and sugar. C’est tout! For the sweetener, you can use granulated sugar, sugar cubes, or simple syrup. I personally enjoy making a simple syrup using the lemon balm from my container garden. Because simple syrup is, dare I say simply, dissolving sugar in water, you won’t need any extra ingredients if you go this route. I like adding the lemon balm to subtly intensify the citrus flavor.   

The quantities below serve 4-5

1)      Squeeze 1 cup of juice from the lemons.

2)      Make your lemon balm simple syrup; recipe below. This yields about a cup of syrup.

3)      Store both the lemon juice and simple syrup in small jugs or glass jars.  

4)      Fill a large pitcher with ice cold water.

5)      Fill your glasses with ice

6)      Slice 1-2 lemons, so you can garnish your drinks with them. You could also reserve some of the lemon balm leaves and add them to your drinks for a pop of color.

Assembling the Parts

1)      Take the pitcher of water, jars of lemon juice and simple syrup, four spoons, and four glasses filled with ice to the table. Bring the lemon slices and lemon balm for additional garnish.

2)      In your individual glasses filled with ice, add the desired amount of lemon juice, simple syrup, top with water, and garnish with lemon slices.

3)      Sit back and enjoy listening to everyone rave about how delicious the lemonade is.