Pickle Lemonade
Updated June 13, 2025
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- 7large organic lemons (see Tip), at room temperature
- ⅔cup granulated sugar
- 3cups chilled, filtered water
- 1 to 1¼cups dill pickle juice (see Tip), plus pickle spears for garnish
- Ice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
75 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 145 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Thinly slice 1 lemon, discard the seeds, and set aside for garnish. Roll the remaining lemons firmly against your counter top before juicing them in order to extract as much juice as possible. Quarter the lemons, then squeeze enough of the lemons into a measuring cup to get 1 cup of lemon juice. (A citrus juicer may be helpful here, if you’ve got one.) Add the squeezed lemon peels and any unsqueezed lemon pieces to a large jar, such as an 8-cup Mason jar, a wide pitcher or even a large bowl.
- Step 2
Add the sugar to the lemon peel pieces in the jar and, using a wooden spoon or a muddler, muddle together until the sugar has mostly dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 3
Add the lemon juice to the jar, cover and shake vigorously (or stir, if your vessel doesn’t have a lid) to ensure the sugar has fully dissolved. Add the water, then add pickle juice to taste. Shake or stir to mix; then strain using a fine-mesh strainer. (To store, refrigerate up to 3 days.)
- Step 4
To serve, pour into glasses over plenty of ice. Garnish with a lemon slice and a pickle spear.
- Because conventional lemons are often sprayed with pesticides, this recipe calls for organic lemons. If using conventional lemons, be sure to wash the fruit thoroughly. The size and juiciness of lemons can vary; save any leftover lemon for another use.
- When choosing pickles for this recipe, look for refrigerated dill-flavored ones like Grillo’s, for brighter flavors. Sweet bread and butter pickles, or other pickles that use too much garlic or other seasonings, might overpower the balance of acidity (lemon), sweetness (sugar) and saltiness (pickle brine). Depending on your pickle choice, you may need to adjust the sugar and lemon ratios.
Private Notes
Comments
I gotta believe a drop of gin couldn't hurt.
I was thinking vodka :-)
Hehe, when I read the ingredients list my first thought was "where's the gin?"
Oh, yeah - that slaps! Agave instead of sugar. Add a couple of fingers of Topo Chico twist of lime to get rid of the Gatorade vibes then hit it with a little Midtown dill pickle vodka or Effen cucumber (if you’re happy with existing brine taste you have going) and oh, baby!
A taste that grows on you, not least because you know you need to drink 5 cups of pickle lemonade one way or another. I can imagine this being great served cold after sweating a lot on a hot day! Like others have said, it is a bit like yellow Gatorade, but with a savory twist. Brine seems to matter a lot– ours was very dill-y, but we're considering making another batch later with some nicer pickles. Maybe keep the brine separate and add per glass if you're not sure you'll like it?
Saw this recipe this morning, and made it this afternoon - love it! I used Grillo sour dill pickles for my brine/garnish. I didn't get all the sugar dissolved, so I think my batch is less sweet than the recipe as written, but it's still really lovely. From a household of pickle nuts, this gets an easy five stars!