Lemonade concentrate substitutes

The genuine equivalent, and the one to use whenever the concentrate matters to the outcome. Stir the sugar into the juice until every grain has dissolved, then top up with water to the volume the recipe wanted.

Best for

sherbet and frozen desserts, icebox and freezer pies, punches, marinades and glazes

Fresh juice tastes brighter and less candied than the can, which is usually an improvement, though a punch made this way loses that nostalgic freezer-aisle flavour. Bottled lemon juice is closer to the original taste if that is what you are after. Warm the mixture briefly if the sugar refuses to dissolve, and cool it before adding it to dairy.

Built exactly the same way, with lime instead of lemon, so it slots straight into any recipe that calls for the lemon version.

Best for

punches and pitcher drinks, sherbet and sorbet, marinades, freezer pies

Sharper and more floral, and it tints pale desserts faintly green rather than cream, which is only a problem if you were expecting yellow. Sweetness and acidity are close enough that no adjustment is needed.

Work out how much powder makes the same amount of lemonade the can would have made, then add it plus the water the concentrate would have contributed.

Best for

punches, sherbet, slushes and freezes, sweet marinades

Most powders get their sourness from citric acid rather than juice, so the tang is there but the aroma is flat and slightly artificial. Adding a teaspoon of fresh lemon zest or a tablespoon of lemon juice makes a real difference. Some are sweetened with sugar and some with sweeteners, and the sugar-free versions will not set or freeze the same way in a sherbet or a pie.

Rather than trying to concentrate a bottle, work backwards: wherever the recipe would have ended up with diluted lemonade, use the same volume of ready-made instead.

Best for

punches and party drinks, granitas and slushes, jellies, iced tea blends

Only works when the recipe dilutes the concentrate anyway. It is useless for a sherbet or an icebox pie where the undiluted concentrate provides intense flavour without much liquid, since bottled lemonade would flood the mixture. Sweetness varies wildly between brands, so taste before adding sugar.

For punches and marinades where you mainly need a sweet, thick, frozen citrus base and the specific lemon identity is negotiable.

Best for

punches, marinades and glazes, smoothies and slushes, fruit salads

Much sweeter and considerably less tart, so a punch made this way tastes rounder and more orangey and can end up cloying. The added lemon juice restores some tension but not all of it. Avoid it in a sherbet or a pie that relies on acidity to set, since orange juice is far less acidic than lemonade.

A last resort, but a usable one in baked and frozen desserts because curd already contains lemon juice, sugar and strong lemon flavour.

Best for

freezer pies, cake fillings, mousses, trifles

Curd contains butter and egg, so it adds richness and thickening the concentrate never did, and it will make a sherbet dense and creamy rather than icy. Never use it in a punch or a drink, where the fat will float. Not suitable if the recipe's texture depends on staying lean.