Watermelon Lemonade

The dog days don’t stand a chance against this summer sipper. It combines the moisturizing power of watermelon with the perfect lemon crease for the ideal refreshment. It’s sophisticated enough for brunch, but hits the spot after mowing the lawn.

It’s also the lazy person’s drink: just stone and dice some lemons and dice a (seedless) watermelon and toss it all in the blender. The only other ingredients you need are water and sugar because the melon does the heavy lifting here. Blend, strain and serve over ice.

You don’t have to juice a ton of lemons for this recipe—the whole fruit goes in the blender—that’s right, zest, pulp, and pulp! Aside from halving and pitting, the biggest fuss is picking the right lemon: you want thin-skinned ones.

Thin-skinned lemons have less pith, the white part between the peel and the flesh. You want some pulp because it adds a hint of bitterness that’s balanced with the sweet watermelon and tart lemon juice. But too much pulp can make the lemonade uncomfortable.

Thin-skinned lemons — which are usually smooth and squeezable — have less pith than thick-skinned lemons, making them perfect for the task.

If you can only find firm, thick-skinned lemons—or if your thin-skinned lemons have a knobbly, pointed end that’s just pith—you can trim the ends to reduce the amount of pith. Whether you buy organic or conventional lemons, wash them well before adding them to the blender. You want to remove wax or impurities from the skin that contains essential oils that give that lemonade a flavor boost.

How to choose the perfect watermelon

You also want to buy a watermelon that is heavy for its size, sounds hollow when you tap it lightly, and has a dark yellow field spot (an area where it was resting on the field). Some say that if the skin is dull, that’s another good sign that the melon will be sweet.

Unless you’re buying a whole watermelon, judge a fruit by its color: the redder the better. Seedless makes it easier for you, but if you can only find pitted melons, go for it. You can snip out the black seeds and leave the delicate white ones (they will fall out).

Mix, strain and pour

Run your blender until everything is nicely blended. But be aware that you will end up with pulp that needs to be sifted out. The pulp is just sweetened fruit solids, so you can store it in an ice cube tray in the freezer and add it to smoothies or frozen cocktails (like margaritas) later.

Custom cocktails and mocktails with lemonade

Do one wet brunch with one of these creations:

• Shake with tequila, Cointreau, and fresh jalapeño for a flavorful watermelon margarita.
• Return to blender with basil, vodka and ice for a cooling slushie.
• Stir in rosé and some chopped stone fruit for an easy sangria.

This lemonade is also a great base for soft drinks:

• Try it sparkling with ginger ale or some sparkling water.
• Make a melon smoothie more melon-y: mix it up with cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and more watermelon.
• Mash with cucumber and strain again for extra moisture.

Save leftover lemonade

Store leftover soda pop in a pitcher or sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. When it sits, it will separate. Shake or stir before pouring.

Refreshing lemonade recipes for hot summer days

• Whole lemonade
• Lavender Lemonade
• Perfect lemonade
• strawberry lemonade
• Pink lemonade