Need to cool down on a hot summer day? Make this fresh watermelon juice recipe. It's so refreshing, easy to make, and naturally sweet (no added sugar needed).
When the summer season rolls around, it means that watermelon salad, fresh watermelon juice, and frozen watermelon slushies are back in the menu rotation. The best part about this fresh juice is you don't even need a fancy juicer to make it, a blender does the trick.
Ingredients
- Watermelon - You can either use a whole watermelon or however much watermelon you have. Check out this post on how to pick out a ripe watermelon.
- Fresh lime juice - the juice tastes amazing on its own, but a squeeze of lime juice is also really nice.
- Ice cubes - for serving.
How To Make Fresh Watermelon Juice
Step 1. Using a sharp knife, cut the watermelon into cubes and discard the rind. Add the cut watermelon flesh to the base of your blender along with lemon or lime juice (optional). Blend until smooth.
Step 2. Strain the juice to remove the pulp. You can either do this by placing several layers of cheesecloth over a large bowl and squeezing out as much of the liquid as you can or by pouring the juice through a fine mesh strainer.
Step 3. Store in a tightly sealed mason jar or airtight container in the fridge until ready to consume. It'll naturally separate the longer it sits, so just shake or stir before serving. Best served cold or over ice.
Make It Your Way: Variations
To make this easy watermelon juice recipe, you really only need one ingredient, but if you want to make a fun mocktail or cocktail, here are some ways to zhuzh up this homemade juice.
- Fizzy drink - add sparkling water or kombucha and ice.
- Cucumber - add sliced cucumbers to the blender for an even more refreshing twist.
- Strawberry - add in fresh sliced strawberries or blend them up with the watermelon before straining.
- Basil watermelon drink - add basil simple syrup, sparkling water (or alcohol if desired), lemon juice, and ice.
- Coconut water - make this fruit juice even healthier and more hydrating by adding coconut water, a natural electrolyte.
- Add herbs - such as basil or fresh mint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Watermelon juice lasts in the fridge in a tightly sealed mason jar or an airtight container for up to 4 days. It has a short shelf life because it contains no preservatives. This also means that some natural separation will occur the longer it sits, so just shake or stir the juice before serving.
Yes, this is especially great if you have leftover watermelon juice that you won't be able to drink. You can either pour it into an ice cube tray for watermelon cubes or make homemade popsicles.
Although watermelon is naturally a sweet fruit, it has a high water content (92%), which means it's very hydrating and good for you. Not to mention, it's also a great source of the antioxidant lycopene and is high in both Vitamin C and potassium.
Top Tips
- Food waste tip: This homemade watermelon juice will work with both good watermelon and "bad watermelon" that taste bland or have a mushy texture. As long as it doesn't have dark soft spots or is slimy, making this refreshing summer drink is a great way to reduce unnecessary food waste.
- You don't need to use a seedless watermelon. While you can, it doesn't matter because the watermelon seeds will get strained out anyway.
- No blender? You can also use a food processor but don't fill it too full.
More Drink Recipes
Fresh Watermelon Juice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium watermelon
- squeeze of fresh lime juice optional
- ice cubes for serving
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, cut the watermelon into cubes and discard the rind. Add the cut watermelon to the base of your blender along with lemon or lime juice (optional). Blend until smooth.
- Strain the juice to remove the pulp. You can either do this by placing several layers of cheesecloth over a large bowl and squeezing out as much of the liquid as you can or by pouring the juice through a fine mesh strainer.
- Store in a tightly sealed mason jar or airtight container in the fridge until ready to consume. It'll naturally separate the longer it sits, so just shake or stir before serving. Best served cold or over ice.
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