Homemade Lemon Peel Simple Syrup Lemonade

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the yellow skin off of all the lemons, trying to avoid the white pith. Place the peels in a medium bowl.

Add the granulated sugar to the bowl with the lemon peels and mix thoroughly to coat.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for a few hours or overnight at room temperature. This allows the sugar to draw the essential oils out of the peels.

Transfer the sugar and peel mixture to a small saucepan. Add 1 cup of water.

Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has completely dissolved. Do not boil.

While the syrup is heating, roll the peeled lemons on a countertop to loosen the juices, then cut and squeeze them to extract the juice.

Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the syrup from the heat. Strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a jar or heatproof container to remove the peels. Let the syrup cool completely.

In a large pitcher, combine 6 cups of filtered water, the freshly squeezed lemon juice, and the cooled lemon syrup.

Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust with more water, syrup, or lemon juice if desired.

Serve the lemonade over ice.