It’s awesome to have in the fridge for cooling down lazy summer afternoons, or make up a double batch for your next summer BBQ. Either way, Watermelon Lemonade is sure to be your IT drink of summer!

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love It!
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Watermelon Lemonade
• Tips for Success
• Make-Ahead Tips
• More Lemonade Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

Watermelon Lemonade was our drink of summer, and before I leave it behind for pumpkin iced coffee and pumpkin everything else, I thought I’d better share the recipe!

Here in the Pacific Northwest, there is definitely a chill in the air, but we’ve got a few warm days left, and I’m determined to squeeze a few more Watermelon-Lemonade-sipping-on-the-patio days out of it!

Why You’ll Love It!

I’m not sure there’s a more appropriate hot-weather drink than watermelon lemonade! Watermelon screams summer. Lemonade screams summer. They’re both cool, refreshing, and delicious. They belong together!

One thing I really love about watermelon lemonade is that you don’t need as much sweetener as with traditional lemonade, because the watermelon adds some natural sweetness. Perfect!

Ingredients

• Watermelon – Grab a fresh, ripe watermelon. I always knock on them, like my Mom used to. If it sounds hollow/echoey, it’s probably a good one! Other watermelon wisdom suggests looking for a large brown patch on one side, indicating that it ripened on the vine, or smelling the rind end of the watermelon – if it smells melon-y, you’re golden! But even with all of those tips, you might end up with a fuzzy watermelon. Don’t you hate that? I hope you will think of this recipe for Watermelon Lemonade the next time that happens, though, because we blend then drain and all that’s left is the watermelon juice.
• Lemon juice – You’ll need 3/4 cups lemon juice, which takes 5 or 6 large lemons.
• Sugar – I like to use straight-up granulated sugar. You can also use honey, if you like.
• Water
• Ice
• Garnishes – Lemon slices, fresh mint, and/or watermelon slices if you really want to get fancy. All optional but all fun!

Adaptations/Variations

• Watermelon Mint Lemonade: Add a large handful of mint to your pitcher and sprinkle some of the sugar over the top. Muddle it until crushed and some of the oils have been released. Add the Watermelon Lemonade and stir.
• Honey Watermelon Lemonade: Use honey instead of sugar.
• Watermelon Limeade: Use lime juice instead of lemon juice.

How to Make Watermelon Lemonade

Add the water, lemon juice, and sugar to a sturdy pitcher and stir it together until the sugar has dissolved. To make this process faster, you can warm 1/2 cup of the water, then stir the sugar into that until dissolved, let it cool, and proceed. Either way, you want your sugar to be completely dissolved because gritty lemonade = no thank you!

Next, add the watermelon to a blender and puree it completely.

If you like a completely smooth lemonade without any pulp or an errant little seed, go ahead and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into your pitcher. If you’re okay with it as-is, go ahead and just pour it straight in.

Then, just pour it in individual glasses of water, over ice, and garnish with mint, lemon slices, and watermelon wedges, if you like.

Yum!

Tips for Success

• Choose a seedless watermelon to avoid having to pick out any seeds.
• Use a high-speed blender for completely pureed watermelon. If you have another type of blender, be sure to blend for an extra minute or two.
• Go forth and multiply! This recipe is great for a party! If you are wanting to make a larger amount of this recipe, simply double or triple the ingredients (note that you may need to puree your watermelon in batches).

Make-Ahead Tips

Can this be made in advance? Yes! I advise using a container that can be closed, such as a large jar, or a closed pitcher. Pour your prepared ingredients into the container, close and place in the refrigerator. When ready to enjoy, prepare your glasses, fill with ice, give the jar a good shake and pour!

Note: If you didn’t strain your watermelon, as this lemonade sits, the pulp from the watermelon will settle. Be sure to give it a good mix or shake prior to serving for best results. 

More Lemonade Recipes

• Blueberry Lemonade
• Vanilla Lemonade
• Lemonade by the Glass
• Strawberry Lemonade by the Glass
• Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie
• Boozy Strawberry Lemonade Slushies

Print

Watermelon Lemonade Recipe

This homemade lemonade is so fruity and refreshing! With just 3 ingredients, it's super simple to make, too.

Keyword watermelon lemonade

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 9 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 116kcal

Author Kare

Equipment

• 1 High-speed blender
• 1 Pitcher

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup lemon juice from 5-6 lemons
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 6 cups watermelon cubed

Garnish suggestions

• Lemon slices
• Fresh mint
• Watermelon wedges

Instructions

• Add the lemon juice, sugar, and water to a 32-ounce or larger pitcher. Stir for about a minute until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• To the pitcher of a high-speed blender, add the cubed watermelon and blend on high until completely pureed, 30 seconds to a minute.
• Add the watermelon juice, to the lemonade and stir until fully combined. If desired, pour the juice through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any residual pulp.
• Pour lemonade into ice-filled glasses and garnish with fresh mint, watermelon and/or lemon slices.

Notes

Storage: 

Keep in an airtight or covered pitcher in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir the lemonade to re-combine (the watermelon may settle) before serving. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 867IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The post Watermelon Lemonade Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

One of the many fun (yet challenging) things about having a kid is the fact that they don’t, you know, just inherently know the same things you do. I mean, I’m stating the obvious here, but sometimes this fact still comes as a surprise to me.

Like the other day, when Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock & Roll” came on the car radio, and I suddenly called out “yowwwwww!” because that’s what you do when I Love Rock & Roll is on the radio.

My kid was startled. “MOM! What happened?! Are you okay?!!” “What? Oh, I’m fine! Just singing a song.” Sigh of (confused) relief on my kid’s part; cue Joan Jett lesson on mine.

There are worse teaching moments, I suppose.

A few days later, when we were picking out a watermelon for this recipe, I was more prepared for the lesson.

I told my daughter all about how you look for a big yellow spot. Lots of scars are good. Give it a good knock and if it sounds a bit hollow, you’re good to go. But then I realized … every single time, I’m the only one in the produce section rapping on watermelons. Knocking watermelons is something my mom taught me; was she wrong? Was she messing with me? Have I been making a fool of myself all this time?!

So much power, parenthood. So much power.

So, about this recipe for Watermelon & Marinated Tofu “Feta” Skewers. This was yet another appetizer I made for my plant-based canapé party (yep, I’m sharing them all!).

I really wanted to share a tasty tofu recipe with my friends at the party, most of whom are actually meat-eaters. I don’t push vegetarian eating on my friends, but I do take satisfaction when I can give them a plant-based food that they previously thought weird or gross and perhaps convince them that’s it not so bad or, even, quite delicious.

For the tofu “feta,” you use extra-firm tofu, squeeze all of the water out of it, then let it rest it in a highly-flavored marinade so all that flavor soaks back into it. The result is a pretty feta-like cube of tofu. It’s not the exact texture or flavor of feta, but to be honest, I actually find this tofu far more delicious than actual feta.

I used this recipe from Green Evi as a starting point. While usually I shy away from “weirder” ingredients, I wanted to go all the way for my party, so I dove headlong into using nutritional yeast and miso in the marinade. Which, really, aren’t that strange as far as ingredients go, but they’re a little off the beaten path for me.

I love the result. I could seriously just nibble on the tofu feta straight out of the jar. But it’s also perfect joined up with some cool, sweet watermelon.

Sweet and salty, my friends, that’s the name of the game.

These Watermelon & Marinated Tofu “Feta” Skewers are seriously the simplest, easiest little appetizer around. Just get the tofu feta going, let it sit for awhile in the fridge, then take 10 minutes – if that – to assemble. It’s also fun to add a few little bits of mint for color and a bit of extra flavor, though entirely optional.

How do I feel about this appetizer? In the confusing-out-of-context words of Joan Jett: “Yooowwwwwww!”

(more…)

The post Watermelon & Marinated Tofu “Feta” Skewers appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

The Story Behind the Recipe

Whenever I host a Mother’s Day meal, I naturally turn to pink. Pink everything. Pink flowers. Pink dishes. And, of course, pink food and drink.

I mean, what better color to celebrate women everywhere?! It’s the most feminine color around. And so many delicious foods lend themselves naturally to this, the chickiest of hues. Like strawberries. And raspberries. Radishes, potatoes, even some onions. And of course – of course! – watermelon. The queen of melons, she’s sweet, she’s succulent, and she’s as rosy as they get.

You know where I’m going with this. Watermelon agua fresca is indeed the perfect shade of pink for Mom’s Day.

And you know what else is awesome about this stuff? Unlike most agua frescas, this one has zero sugar added! None! It doesn’t need it.

Watermelon Agua Fresca Ingredients

Such a simple list of ingredients – exactly 3 ingredients, to be exact! We’ve got:

• Watermelon, of course – pureed and strained.
• Coconut water – hydrating, naturally sweet, and perfect with watermelon
• A squeeze of lime

The natural sweetness in both the watermelon and the coconut water are plenty to make this perfectly drinkable and completely refreshing. The perfect summer drink. Light, hydrating, delicious – but not cloying.

If you really, really want yours a little sweeter, just stir in a little sugar until it dissolves, but I uphold it truly doesn’t need any. I also don’t find full-on sugar soda or heavy fruit juices refreshing – especially in the heat of summer – so this watermelon agua fresca is what I’ll be sipping on instead. With a decorative straw. It makes all of the difference.

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Watermelon Agua Fresca Recipe

Naturally sweet and totally refreshing. This pretty pink cooler is my healthy summer staple.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 192kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 3 pound seedless watermelon, cubed (about 5 cups)
• 4 cups 1 quart coconut water
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice from 1 medium lime

Instructions

• Puree the watermelon in a blender. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a pitcher and carefully pour the pureed watermelon through the sieve. Discard pulp.
• Stir in coconut water and lime juice.
• Chill, covered, until cold – at least an hour. Serve over ice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 132mg | Potassium: 932mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 3201IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg

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The Story Behind the Recipe

I’ve been so pleasantly blown away by the popularity of my Strawberry-Lemon Sangria – both online and at home – that I thought I’d try another fruity-citrusy white sangria combo in the form of this watermelon sangria.

Like its strawberry-lemon cousin, this too boasts a nice, not-too-sweet flavor that makes it deliciously drinkable – possibly even dangerously so. You’ve been warned!

I like this combo as much – possibly even more – than the first. Fresh bing cherries give this light, uber-drinkable sangria a lovely pink hue. And you can really taste that sweet cherry goodness. Loads of lime slices enhance the cherry flavor … and then there’s the super-spiked rounds of watermelon. Yeah, this is pretty much July in a glass.

Readers say…

“This was fantastic! I made it with extra dry Korbel champagne and it was the best sangria I have had.”

– Kelley

Watermelon Sangria Ingredients

• White wine – I like a dryish wine for my sangria. Sauvignon Blanc is great in this watermelons sangria.
• Rum – Go with a white/light rum.
• Watermelon – Lots of it! Cut it into 3/4-inch chunks, or make balls with a melon baller.
• Lemon & Limes – The bright citrus gives this sangria a crisp, sunshiny taste.
• Cherries – I love cherries in sangria, and they’re perfect here!
• Lemon-lime soda – Grab your fave. 7-up, Sprite, etc.

How to Make Watermelon Sangria

Making watermelon sangria is a piece of cake! Just add the fruit to a large pitcher, and pour in the wine and rum. Let it marinate/mingle in the fridge for a few hours, then pour in the lemon lime soda when it’s time to serve it.

This recipe is super easy to scale – half it if you like, or double or even triple it (just make sure you have a big pitcher!)

More Sangria Recipes

• Strawberry Sangria
• Strawberry Kiwi Sangria
• The BEST Red Sangria Recipe!
• Summer Sangria
• Cranberry Apple Sangria
• Apple Cider Sangria
• Pear Sangria
• Fall Sangria
• Mason Jar Sangria
• Margarita Sangria

Print

Watermelon Sangria

Watermelon, cherries, limes, white wine, and rum join together to make a refreshing, uber-drinkable summer sangria.

Keyword watermelon sangria

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 3 cups watermelon balls or approx. 3/4-inch chunks
• 2 cups bing cherries halved and pitted
• 3 limes thinly sliced
• 1 lemon thinly sliced
• 1 750 ml bottle white wine a dry-ish white wine is best – I like Sauvignon Blanc
• 1/2 cup white rum
• 4 cups lemon-lime soda

Instructions

• Add watermelon to a large pitcher, then the cherries, then the limes, then the lemons.
• Pour the wine and rum over the top.
• Cover and place in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 hours.
• Remove from refrigerator and add the lemon lime soda. Add a few pieces of the fruit to your glass along with ice (if desired), and pour sangria over to serve.
• Keeps for about 24 hours in the refrigerator; just be sure to add the lemon-lime soda right before serving.

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