Citrus Water Punch
Sweet, tart, and so very lemony, this delicious, light, refreshing citrus water punch is a perfect accompaniment to any meal.
There is something truly magical about this punch. It has crazy powers. Powers to elicit a response in people that never fails to amaze.
It looks unassuming, I know, but don’t underestimate how many times I have had people take a sip, nearly faint and then get on their hands and knees and beg for this recipe (and I’m using the term “recipe” very loosely here).
Clearly, some of the magic in this punch lies in the short list of ingredients: water (no need to add it to your grocery list!) mixes with sugar, lemon extract and citric acid to create the most refreshing beverage you’ve ever laid your lips on.
If citric acid has you confused and nervous, don’t worry! It can be found in most pharmacies or health food stores.
Sweet, tart and so very lemony, this delicious, light beverage would be a perfect accompaniment to an Easter meal or anytime, really. I hope it will work its magic on you and yours! (Thanks to the awesome sisters at the Sister’s Cafe for the recipe!)
One Year Ago: Perfect Lemon Cake
Citrus Water Punch
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons citric acid, you can find this at most pharmacies or natural food stores
- 5 quarts water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure lemon extract
- 3 sliced lemons
- 3 sliced limes
- Crushed ice
Instructions
- In a large pitcher or punch bowl, stir water, sugar, citric acid, and lemon extract together.
- Add sliced fruit and ice.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from The Sister’s Cafe
Has anyone used lemon paste instead of lemon extract for this?
I have been making this for 3 years now. My kids love it, but the amount of citric acid always left my mouth feeling weird. I also found I could not drink more than one glass without getting severe heartburn. This year, I cut the citric acid down to 1 Tbsp. I mixed that together with the sugar and 1 cup of the water and boiled it. Doing this took away the cloudy look and I felt the decrease in citric acid made the drink more palatable for me,
If I make a simple syrup (boil the sugar in a bit of water) will it taste similarly? Kinda nervous about mixing cold water and sugar as it might not dissolve…
Yes you could definitely make a simple syrup.
Just made this–holy crap, it is lovely, refreshing, and delightful.
Super easy and bizarrely clear, It tastes like what lemonade wants to taste like but looks like water.
I found citric acid at Walmart in the canning aisle next to the Ball’s Fruit Fresh. Do not skip the citric acid, it’s the part of the magic.
If your store doesn’t have a canning section and you’re in the baking aisle getting the pure lemon extract, look around for “sour salt,” which is another name for citric acid, instead.
I cannot wait to try this with pure orange extract instead of lemon.
Will sonic type ice water this punch down to much or do you just add less water to compensate for the ice. If so, how much of each? If not how much ice do you add? Sorry! I need very specific instructions 🙂
I haven’t used sonic ice with this, Ann, so I won’t be much help. If you add the ice right before serving, it should be fine.
Will liquid citric acid work like the powder? I just ordered it on amazon before I read you use the powder form.
Thank you Mel. And I really appreciate your blog. Thank you for sharing your talent & tips. You are blessing many lives.
I haven’t tried it with liquid citric acid, Cheri – but I think it stands a good chance of working out just fine.
Thank you!
Would you know how many calories a glass of this would be?
I’m sorry, I don’t have the calorie info on this.
I make this all the time; always have a jug in the fridge.
But, I squeeze 1/2 and lemon and lime, and don’t put any slices in as the rind will give off a bitter flavour after 4 or 5 hrs.
Also, add a tsp of strawberry extract most of the batches. It gives the drink a citrus/berry flavour. Yummy…
Thanks Mel
I was not prepared for citric acid to look like crack! Haha!
This sounds absolutely refreshing. I’m wondering . . . Is it possible to make this without the sugar? I am attempting to give up sugar; artificial sweeteners are a definite no-no, too. Thanks
MikkiGirl – I suppose so although it will be very, very tart. Good luck if you try it.
I was wondering whether stevia might work well as an alternate sweetener in this recipe. It works in lemonade quite well.
I haven’t tried it – but it’s certainly worth experimenting!
I really wanted to love this, I tried hard. Unfortunately the citric acid was just too much for me. It coated my mouth and gave my wife (almost instant) heart burn. I diluted with about 50% more water which I think made it much more enjoyable but we were scarred and have since nicknamed this punch Acid Water. I see the appeal for kids, it’s like drinking a box of sour candy. I think we’ll stick to traditional lemonade this Easter.
After going to the pharmacy and finding citric acid for $16.99 (not paying that), calling 3 other stores, and looking online, I finally found it at my local walmart by the canning
supplies. Ball brand in bright green 7.5oz bottles for $2.87. Hope this helps someone else save time and $.
We love this stuff! My mom serves it from a punch bowl. As she is preparing it she pours some in a bundt pan lined with slices of lemon, orange, and lime and then pops the bundt pan in the freezer. This creates a beautiful ring of ice that doesn’t water-down the punch as it melts.
I just made this punch for a church activity (in December), and it was a hit! Very yummy and refreshing. Thanks! I wanted to add a note that I found my citric acid in the canning section (small section of shelf in the cookwares) at my local SuperWalmart. Found lemon extract (McCormick brand) in the baking section…next to the vanilla extract…also at SuperWalmart.
thanks! the info i found about substitutions is mosr for just some flavoring in cakes and cookies.. i dont think it would work in a drink like this. i am going to try experimenting some in the meantime, but my final decision is to just go ahead and make the lemon extract myself! lemons are in abundance and vodka.. well.. not so hard to find either.
i will try to let you know how both methods turned out but lets see if i remember in a month or two once the extract is done 😛
any chance you have ever used actual lemon juice instead of the lemon extract. funny enough, unlike the others, i have plenty access to citric acid but not to lemon extract. any hint on how much to substitute?
Deanna – I haven’t subbed real lemon juice for the extract. Sorry! You might try googling to see if there is an equivalent fresh lemon juice to lemon extract.
Hi Teresa – don’t worry, my punch takes on a cloudy look after I add the extract, too. I think the picture must be deceiving because of the white backdrop.
I made this citrus water punch this weekend and my whole family loved it. I did have to mail order the citric acid, but I bought McCormick pure lemon extract. My question is…the punch turned cloudy when I added the extract. Yours looks clear. Is this supposed to happen? It tastes delicious in any case, but I was just wondering. Thanks.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I begged for it years ago after a woman in my choir made it for our luncheon/reception. I used it in bulk at my sis-in-law’s wedding where we actually made a batch ahead of time and froze it into small cake pans shaped like daisies (the wedding theme) to use as ice in the punch bowl so as to not water it down, but keep it ice cold. It’s beautiful and safe for wedding dresses/kids! I was so glad to find this recipe online as the second search result! Thanks for posting it! 🙂
Hey there. I thought I’d check in and let you know I made this for the lunch following our baby’s blessing, with one change. I used seltzer water instead of regular water and it was bubbly and delightful. Works great either way. I also discovered that every store carries citric acid–it’s with the baking stuff or jams and it’s the stuff called, “fruit fresh” used to keep cut fruit from turning brown.
This is a great light drink. I’ve used it for baby showers and all-women luncheons.
I made this for Thanksgiving (HUUUUUGE hit) and am making it this morning for a New Years breakfast at home. Just looking at pure lemon extract and noticed that it’s alcohol… ha ha… I wonder if I’m getting my family a little drunk-ish. No wonder why they all like it so much. 🙂 We’re Mormon so don’t drink alcohol but I do cook with it and use vanilla all of the time, so I guess I’ve found another way to get it in our system. 🙂 Mostly I’m kidding. Also sort of wondering if maybe the citric acid is counteracting with the alcohol?
Had a hard time finding the citric acid like others did, but once I did, I was excited to make this. It was really good! Served alongside a sweet punch meant for the kids to drink. The adults thought they were getting lightly flavored water with this until they drank it and were surprised at all the flavor. Thanks!
I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. My hubby said that it was refreshing. LOL Thanx
thank you all for your information. but i finally found it and made it last night!! loved, loved, loved it. new drink for these hot summer days. i did use splenda instead of sugar. finally found the citric acid in a little tiny drugstore!!!!
thanks again…………
@ChinaMama – Do you know if you can get True Lemon products where you live? It’s usually in the same section as the artificial sweeteners. True Lemon is basically citric acid and lemon oils. I’ve been able to make this punch using True Lemon in place of both the citric acid and lemon extract. It’s not quite as tart as Mel’s recipe, but still very good. I’m not sure about the cost. True Lemon is probably more expensive than straight citric acid, but you’d save a little by not having to buy lemon extract, so it might come out about the same.
Also, you can order citric acid from Amazon.com for less than $6 a pound. That would last quite a while.
Annie – thanks for helping with this!
i have looked in drugstores and walmart and a few grocery stores. i live in a smaller town kind of like mayberry!! but i will keep searching 🙂
i want to make this. bought lemons and limes but cannot find citric acid anywhere in my town. if i use lemon juice which i think is my only option, can you please tell me what the equivalent would be for the two tablespoons you need for your recipe?????
also, i know or think i know citric acid is sour. how about sour mix like the kind you get to make whiskey sours????? just a thought!!! love your site.
ChinaMama – you might need to google substitutions for citric acid because I can’t tell you how much lemon juice to sub, since I’ve never tried it and I don’t want to mess up the recipe for you. You might try the sour drink mix, but again, I’ve never made it that way. Have you looked in the canning sections of your stores (where they sell bottles and supplies for canning)? I’ve found it there many times.
My kids are ADDICTED to this! My 9 year-old son loves to make it because it is so easy. They like to add a drop a red food coloring to make it look like pink lemonade. 🙂
I was so excited to find citric acid at Sunflower Market today that I had to rush home and make this! It is absolutely divine! Thanks for the great blog!
I made this for my last Relief Society activity. Everyone loved it! I really enjoy trying your recipes, they are all fabulous!
Just made this wonderful tasting punch for an Open House. What a hit with the realtors and their clients. I will be adding this recipe to my collection to share with family and friends. I even added one sliced naval orange for added color. Thanks.
I recently saw citric acid in the bulk spices at Fred Meyer. When I saw this recipe, I knew what to use the citric acid for! I’ll be trying this soon ……