Fresh Watermelon Juice
Watermelon, lime juice, and mint leaves go straight into the blender with sugar, fine salt, and ice cubes. Ten minutes of prep, four glasses, no cooking.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 1 ¼ kg
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
- 1 pinch
Process
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Cut the chilled watermelon flesh away from the rind and cut it into 3 cm cubes, discarding any seeds you can see. You should have about 1.2 kg of fruit.
Put the watermelon cubes into a blender. Add the lime juice, the pinch of fine salt and the granulated sugar if you are using it.
Blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds, until the mixture is completely smooth and no chunks of watermelon remain.
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large jug or bowl and pour the blended juice through it. Press the pulp with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard the pulp.
Taste the juice. If it needs more sweetness, stir in another teaspoon of granulated sugar; if it tastes flat, add another teaspoon of lime juice.
Chill the strained juice in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, or pour it straight over the ice cubes in tall glasses. Garnish with the mint leaves and serve immediately.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is blending warm watermelon straight from the market; the juice turns foamy and dull. Chill the fruit for at least 2 hours before blending so the drink is cold without being watered down by ice.
- Straining is what separates fresh watermelon juice from a thick smoothie. If you skip it, the pulp settles into a heavy layer at the bottom of the glass within minutes.
- A pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime are not optional flavour extras; they make the watermelon taste sweeter and more aromatic without adding sugar.
- If your watermelon is pale and underripe, the juice will taste watery. Add 1 extra tablespoon of lime juice and 1 teaspoon of sugar, and serve it very cold.
Substitutions
- granulated sugar→honey or agave syrup
- lime juice→lemon juice
- fine salt→a pinch of flaky sea salt
- mint leaves→fresh basil leaves
Storage & reheating
Store the strained juice in a sealed glass jar or bottle in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir or shake well before drinking because natural separation happens. For longer storage, pour it into ice cube trays, freeze for up to 3 months, and blend the frozen cubes with a splash of cold water to make an instant slushie. Do not store it in an open jug, as it quickly absorbs fridge odours.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my watermelon juice turn foamy and pink on top?
Foam comes from blending warm or room-temperature watermelon at high speed, which whips air into the pulp. Chill the fruit for at least 2 hours before blending, and strain the juice through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the foam. A few seconds of blending on low speed also reduces foaming.
Can I make watermelon juice without a blender?
Yes. Cut the watermelon into cubes, mash them thoroughly with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon in a large bowl, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. It takes about 10 minutes longer and yields slightly less juice, but the flavour is the same.
How do I know if my watermelon is sweet enough for juicing?
Taste a cube before blending. A ripe watermelon is deeply pink, smells sweet at the cut surface, and feels heavy for its size. If the flesh tastes bland or pale, add the optional sugar and an extra squeeze of lime, and serve the juice very cold.
Can I leave the seeds in when blending?
Black seeds are hard and slightly bitter, so remove the ones you can see before blending. White immature seeds blend up fine and will be caught by the strainer. If you skip straining, black seeds leave a gritty texture in the juice.
How long does fresh watermelon juice last in the fridge?
Strained juice keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. It separates as it sits, so shake or stir before serving. After 3 days it starts to ferment and taste fizzy, which means it should be discarded.
Can I freeze watermelon juice?
Yes. Pour the strained juice into ice cube trays and freeze for up to 3 months. Blend the frozen cubes with a splash of cold water for an instant slushie, or drop them straight into a glass of sparkling water. Thawed juice is best used within 24 hours.
Why is my watermelon juice watery and tasteless?
Underripe or refrigerated-too-long watermelon has high water content and low sugar. Choose a heavy, fragrant melon, let it sit at room temperature for an hour before cutting, and add lime juice and a pinch of salt to lift the flavour. Avoid adding ice directly to the blender, as it dilutes the juice further.
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