Homemade Lemon Ice is the perfect dessert if you’re looking for something light to eat and easy to make.  Lemon Ice is made with water, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and topped with mint sprigs for garnish.

If you’re looking for other recipes that star lemons, check out my Homemade Lemon Bars recipe and Creamy Baked Lemon Noodles.

You don’t even need an ice cream maker to create this beautiful dessert.  A blender, beaters or you can also use a fork to break up the ice to create this delicious treat.

Summer weather has everyone craving cold foods, but ice cream can be too heavy at times.  Cool, tart, and sweet – all in one bite.  It’s the perfect crowd-pleaser.

Italy may be a far-off dream for you to visit, but you’ll feel like you’re there when you try this Italian water ice recipe.

If you know anything about me at all, I look for recipes that everyone can make – not just experienced cooks.  Life is hard enough – making complicated dishes is not something I find fun.

Not only is this recipe tasty, but it looks gorgeous too!  Serving the lemon ice in lemon shells makes a beautiful presentation, without a ton of work.

Cut the bottom part of the lemon off so the shell can sit up without tipping over.  Scoop out the remaining lemon pulp after you extract the juice.

Fun Facts About Lemons

I like to add a bit of trivia to my recipes because it adds a little fun to dinner table conversations.  I’ve gone throughout my life, not knowing if lemons are native to America.  Now I know.

1) According to contemporaryfoodlab.com, lemons were brought to the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1493.

2) Lemons are grown primarily in California and Arizona.  (My guess would have been Florida – but they weren’t even close to the number of acres the other two states have dedicated to lemons.)  They produce 95% of the lemons consumed in the United States.

3) On average, the US consumes three pounds of lemons per person.

4) The top two countries we export our lemons to are Japan and Canada.

5) Each lemon holds on average three tablespoons of juice.

6) Lemon trees can produce lemons all year round.

7) You can get 500-600 pounds of lemons from a single tree every year.

8) Miners in the gold-rush of 1849 paid a premium price for lemons because they helped prevent scurvy.  California is one of the top producing states of lemons because of this demand.

Lemon Festivals Around the World

1) Goleta, California Lemon Festival

This fun-filled event has free parking and admission.

Some of the activities this festival has are:

Lemon Dinner

Lemon inspired food by local chefs is served in a garden at the Rancho La Patera & Stow House.

Lemon Run

They have a 1k family run, 5k race, and if you’re really ambitious, a 10k race.  They start and finish at Goleta Beach

Pie Eating Contest

When was the last time you entered a pie-eating contest?  If it’s been awhile – it’s time to start practicing, so you’re ready to show off your dessert-eating skills.

2) Menton, France Lemon Festival – 

This festival goes all-out on celebrating lemons.  Menton, France has been famous for its lemons for centuries.  They even make sculptures and floats out of lemons!  Some of the things this festival has to offer are:

Golden Fruit Parade

Night Parade followed by Fireworks

Garden of Lights

Citrus fruit exhibits and sculptures are enhanced with lighting and music – this event is listed as a must-see.  I googled images of this event – they take celebrating to a whole new level.

Now you have the perfect excuse to visit France.

Best Way to Store Lemons

You can leave your lemons out on your counter or in a bowl on your dining room table.

If you want to keep them fresher longer, store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.  Properly stored, lemons will last from 3 to 4 weeks.

About Susan Branch

I found the best lemon ice recipe in Susan Branch’s cookbook Heart of the Home: Notes from a Vineyard Kitchen.  You can find the cookbook here on Amazon.  

If you don’t know anything about Susan Branch, you’re in for a treat.  She’s a famous cookbook author that added hand lettering to all her cookbooks back in the day when computers didn’t do it for you.  Every single page of her cookbooks is filled with watercolor illustrations she did herself.

Her cookbooks are a work-of-art.  I have all of them.

If you’re looking for something interesting to read, check out her trio of memoirs.  She moved from her home state of California to Martha’s Vineyard after a painful divorce on impulse.  Martha’s Vineyard is where she started writing her cookbooks.  I did a book review of one of her memoirs. You can find that book review here.

Her cookbooks and memoirs are some of my favorite books I have in my collection.  Trust me; you’ll love them!

Creating a Cozy Life Group

Since you found this recipe for homemade lemon ice, I’m guessing you like all things cozy living. I created a Facebook group called Creating a Cozy Life with over 68,000 like-minded souls.

It’s a group where we share recipes, pictures of things that leave you in awe, and ideas on how to make your life just a little bit more snug.  Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.

Here’s How to Make Homemade Lemon Ice

Ingredients for Homemade Lemon Ice

3 1/2 cups water

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons lemon zest

Mint sprigs for garnish

Directions for Making Homemade Lemon Ice

1) Boil the water in a saucepan.

2) Add sugar to the boiling water and stir until it dissolves.

3) Remove from heat and cool.

4) Add lemon juice and zest to the sugar water.

5) Pour mixture into a metal bowl and freeze for at least 3 hours.

6) When it’s time to serve the lemon ice, beat the ice until fluffy.

7) Scoop the ice into lemon shells.  You can also serve the lemon ice in small glass bowls or wine glasses.

8) Top with mint sprigs and serve immediately.

Printable Recipe for Homemade Lemon Ice Recipe

Tips for Making Lemon Ice

1) You can substitute Meyer lemons for regular lemons in this recipe.

2) In addition to beating the ice to make the recipe, you can use a blender or even break it up with a fork.

3) This is the handy gadget I use to squeeze lemon or lime juice. I found it on Amazon. 

4) If you would like to make dried lemons to add a garnish to the lemon ice, my friend Angi over at Schneider Peeps will show you how to make them.

We’ve reached the end of Homemade Lemon Ice.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Let me know in the comments below how you liked this easy Homemade Lemon Ice recipe. 

Make sure you join our Creating a Cozy Life – Hygge Style Facebook group.  You’re not going to believe how amazing it is.  Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.

Pin this recipe below on your recipe board on Pinterest.

Thanks for stopping by.  I’m so happy you found us!

More Lemon Recipes to Try 

• Detoxing Homemade Lemon Ginger Tea 
• Homemade Rosemary Lemonade

Dessert Recipes You’ll Love

• Wine Soaked White Peaches
• Homemade Ginger Candy