There are few things more refreshing on a hot day than a nice cold glass of lemonade. The nice thing about this recipe is that it includes watermelon, making it even more perfect for summer. It is a little more time consuming than making regular lemonade, but it is definitely worth the extra effort. My husband, who doesn’t like watermelon, thought this lemonade tasted great.
Put your feet up on the ledge of your patio/deck/balcony and treat yourself to a glass!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- Grated zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)
- 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon (about 1/4 of a small-medium watermelon)
- 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 8 lemons)
- 5 cups cold water
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions:
- To make a simple syrup,* combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water and grated zest in a 1-quart saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sugar is melted and the syrup is clear. Cool to room temperature.
- Place the watermelon in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Strain through a cheesecloth (or, in a pinch, a heavy duty paper towel) placed over a collander.
- Put lemon juice, water melon puree, 5 cups of water and simple syrup into a large pitcher and stir until well combined.
- Spread the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar evenly on a small plate. On a separate plate pour a small amount of water. Dip the rim of a glass into the water and then into the sugar to coat the rim of the glass with sugar. Fill the glass with ice (careful to not disturb the sugar) and then pour the lemonade over the ice.
- Enjoy!
*A simple syrup is made when you suspend sugar in a liquid by heating the sugar and liquid. I used a simple syrup in this recipe because it dissolves better than granulated sugar in the cold lemonade.
