This lemonade relies on the natural sweetness of the watermelon, which gets a refreshing note from fresh lime juice. No artificial syrup, no powder – just ripe melon, a few steps and patience while steeping. Perfect for hot days, but also as a base for later upgrades with Gin or Vodka. The secret lies in straining: if you don’t filter out the seeds and fibres, you’ll be drinking sludge instead of lemonade.
And this is what you need for the Watermelon Lemonade
800 g diced watermelon (approx. 4 cups, remove seeds)
120 ml freshly squeezed lime juice (approx. 6–8 limes)
150 g sugar (or 200 ml sugar syrup for quick solubility)
1 litre cold water
1 pinch of salt (optional, rounds off the sweetness)
What matters
The melon must be ripe – unripe fruit tastes watery and barely gives off any sweetness. Test before blending: a piece should taste sweet and be easy to crush between your fingers. If the melon is too pale, add a splash of lemon juice to the purée before straining – this prevents it from turning brown. And: don’t blend too hard! Blending for too long makes the lemonade frothy and hard to digest.
Variations
- Watermelon Gin Fizz — Shake 4 cl London Dry Gin with 2 cl lemon juice and 1 cl sugar syrup in a shaker, strain onto ice into a glass and top up with 150 ml of the finished Watermelon Lemonade. Top with soda water and garnish with a melon slice.
- Spicy Melon Lemonade — Lightly crush 1–2 thin slices of fresh ginger with the sugar in a mortar before mixing it with the lime juice. After steeping, strain through a sieve to remove the ginger pieces.
- Melon-Mint Lemonade — Lightly crush 10 fresh mint leaves with the sugar in a mortar before mixing it with the lime juice. Remove the mint before serving or leave it as garnish in the glass.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make the lemonade without sugar?
Yes, but then the melon must be extremely sweet. Replace the sugar with 100 ml agave nectar or honey – these dissolve better than granulated sugar. Alternatively, taste the lemonade first and sweeten if necessary.
How long does the lemonade keep in the fridge?
Maximum 2 days. After that, it loses freshness and the lime juice turns bitter. It’s best to always prepare it fresh – the process is quick.
Why is my lemonade cloudy?
Either you blended the melon for too long (causing froth) or didn’t strain it thoroughly enough. Filtering a second time through a damp cheesecloth helps. If it still remains cloudy: just sell it as a ‘rustic variation’ – it still tastes good.
