• Wash and dry 8 large lemons (more if small).
• First, zest all 8 lemons (each lemon will produce about 1 ½ teaspoons of zest). The 8 lemons will produce about ¼ cup to ⅓ cup of zest.
• Second, cut each lemon in half and juice each lemon.  I prefer to use a lemon or lime squeezer or a lemon reamer for this. After the 8 lemons are juiced, you should be left with about 1 ½ cup of lemon juice.  If you have not reached 1 ½ cup of lemon juice, check to make sure you have extracted all of the juice from the lemons or juice more lemons until you reach 1 ½ cup of lemon juice.
• Next, Combine the 1 ½ cup of lemon juice and the lemon zest.  Cover and put into the refrigerator for 1 hour to up to 6 hours to allow the zest to steep in the lemon juice and release the lemon oil in the zest.
• Then, in the serving pitcher add ¾ cup of sugar and 3 cups of water.
• Stir with a wooden spoon or a long utensil to combine the sugar and water until dissolved.
• Now, place the serving pitcher in the refrigerator to chill.
• While the lemon juice is steeping with the lemon zest and the sugar and water are chilling in the refrigerator, make the blackberry puree.
• First, wash the blackberries.
• Add the blackberries to the blender. (If using an immersion blender, add berries to the appropriate dish to use an immersion blender in.)
• Then, add the 4 tbsp of sugar and 2 tablespoons to the blackberries that are in the blender and blend until very smooth.
• Next, strain the blackberry puree through a wire mesh strainer/sieve (because blackberries have large seeds) into a separate serving pitcher. (This could be a Pyrex measuring cup.) Set puree aside to later combine into the entire lemonade by stirring with a wooden spoon or long utensil.
• Once the lemon juice and the zest have had time to steep together (or it is time to serve to your guests) take both the lemon juice zest mixture and the serving pitcher that contains the sugar and water out of the refrigerator.
• Then, place a size-appropriate wire mesh strainer (sieve) on top of a Pyrex measuring cup. Pour the lemon juice zest mixture into the mesh strainer that is on top of the measuring cup to strain the zest, pulp, and any possible seeds out. Next, pour the strained lemon juice from the Pyrex measuring cup into the pitcher that contains the sugar and water mixture. 
• If you choose to keep the blackberry puree separate, keep the puree in its own smaller serving pitcher and add one to two tablespoons of the puree per glass of lemonade. When (if) adding the blackberry puree to the entire pitcher, add the puree slowly. Taste test as you go to see if you want to add all or just a portion of the blackberry puree based on your preference.
• Stir one final time to combine all ingredients.
• Check to see if you need to add sugar or a very small amount of water per your palate preference due to the variation of the tartness of the lemons and the juice they produce.  If you add water only add a tablespoon at a time.  If you add sugar, only add a teaspoon at a time and let it completely dissolve and incorporate before adding more.
• DO NOT ADD ICE to the pitcher of lemonade.  Instead, serve the lemonade chilled. (It should be chilled as all ingredients have been in the refrigerator for a minimum of one hour before the incorporation of all ingredients. )
• I recommend offering ice on the side in an ice bucket or bowl.  This allows guests to choose to add ice to their glasses to prevent watering down this delicious lemonade.
• Garnish with thyme, blackberries or lemon slices if desired. Enjoy!

Please note: Any substitutions will be an on-your-own experiment I do not have a recipe to swap substitutions at this time.