Description
This delicious watermelon syrup is a refreshing, naturally sweetened addition perfect for summer treats. Made by simmering seedless watermelon with lemon juice, it creates a vibrant, flavorful syrup ideal for cocktails, desserts, or drizzling over ice cream and fresh fruit.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 4 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare the Watermelon: Cube 4 cups of seedless watermelon ensuring it is fresh and ripe for the best natural sweetness.
- Blend the Watermelon: Place the watermelon cubes into a blender and blend until smooth to extract all the juicy pulp.
- Strain the Juice: Pour the blended watermelon through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a saucepan to remove pulp and seeds, ensuring a smooth syrup texture.
- Add Lemon Juice: Mix in 1 cup of fresh lemon juice to the strained watermelon juice. This adds brightness and balances sweetness.
- Simmer the Mixture: Heat the watermelon and lemon juice mixture on medium heat. Allow to simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour and 45 minutes until the liquid reduces and thickens into syrup consistency.
- Cool and Store: Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the syrup to cool. Pour the cooled syrup into a clean jar or bottle and refrigerate. The syrup will keep well chilled for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Choosing seedless watermelon simplifies the straining process and results in a smoother syrup.
- If you prefer a pure watermelon flavor without the tang of lemon, you may omit the lemon juice, though it helps preserve and enhance the taste.
- You can adjust the cooking time slightly if you want a thicker or thinner syrup. Longer simmering results in thicker syrup.
- Use this syrup as a base for summer cocktails, to drizzle over desserts, or mix with sparkling water for a refreshing drink.
