Strawberry Lemonade

Rinse 450g strawberries under cool running water, pat dry with paper towels, then hull and quarter all berries. Roll 6 medium lemons firmly on a countertop for 10 seconds each to loosen juice, halve them, and squeeze to collect 240ml (1 cup) of seed-free fresh lemon juice.

In a small saucepan, combine 150g granulated sugar, 240ml (1 cup) of the filtered water, and 1/8 tsp fine sea salt. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 3-4 minutes until sugar fully dissolves into a clear liquid, with no grainy residue at the pan bottom. Do not bring the syrup to a rolling boil.

Add 300g (2 cups) of the quartered strawberries to the warm simple syrup, reduce heat to low, and let the mixture simmer gently for 5 minutes to soften berries and infuse the syrup with strawberry flavor. Remove the pan from heat and let the strawberry syrup cool for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a 2L (2-quart) glass pitcher, pour the cooled strawberry syrup through the sieve, pressing gently on the softened berry solids with a silicone spatula to extract all flavorful liquid. Discard the leftover pulp, or reserve it for topping yogurt or oatmeal.

Add the 240ml (1 cup) fresh lemon juice, remaining 720ml (3 cups) cold filtered water, and remaining 150g (1 cup) fresh quartered strawberries to the pitcher with the strained syrup. Stir the entire mixture thoroughly with a long spoon for 30 seconds to fully combine all components.

Cover the pitcher with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour, until the lemonade reaches 4°C (40°F). Do not add ice directly to the pitcher before chilling, as melting ice will dilute the bright fruit flavor.

When ready to serve, fill four 475ml (16oz) tall glasses with 120g (1/2 cup) of ice cubes each. Pour the chilled strawberry lemonade over the ice, and garnish each glass with a fresh strawberry slice, a thin lemon wheel, and 2-3 mint leaves if using.