Old-fashioned lemonade is a far sweeter, thicker drink than you buy in the shops, and is altogether non-fizzy. This recipe comes from my great, great grandmother (like the toffee recipe), so it certainly qualifies as old. By my reckoning it could well be from around 1850.

We made it today and didn’t need much forward planning as it requires only four ingredients, the most unfamiliar being citric acid. You can buy this in brewing shops, at some chemists and, as we did, through eBay.

Skill level: Easy
Time required: About 90 minutes, plus cooling time

Wash the lemons then grate the rind into a large pan. Add the sugar, ensuring there are no lumps, and the water. Bring to simmering point, stirring all the time until the liquid has turned a clear yellow and you can no longer see the clouds made by the sugar.

Continue to simmer gently for an hour while juicing the lemons, then remove from the heat and stir in the citric acid and lemon juice.

Allow to cool, then strain through muslin or a thin sieve, into bottles. Serve cold, diluted with cold water to your taste.

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