If you’re wondering how to juice a watermelon, you’re in luck. Watermelons are one of the easiest fruits to juice.
When you bite into a slice of a crisp, sweet watermelon, you’ll find that it’s bursting with juice. So much so, that it actually may be a little challenging to keep it from running down your chin, dripping on the floor, or making your fingers sticky.
The reason for this is very simple: the fruit of a watermelon is over 90% water. If you took a cube of the ripe fruit in your hand and squeezed, that alone would cause it to virtually liquify.
So, keep reading. We’ll give you a method on how to juice a watermelon in a simple, efficient way. Additionally, we’ll address why watermelon juice is so great and provide you with a neat watermelon juice recipe you can try at home.
Why Watermelon Juice?
It’s Healthy
Watermelons, even before juicing, are more than 90% water. In juice form, (without any additional pulp), that percentage rises. So, consuming watermelon and watermelon juice is a great way to stay hydrated.
Additionally, watermelon juice has lots of nutrients. The beverage is a good source of vitamins A and C as well as potassium and copper.
It’s Tasty
Sometimes, we just crave something sweet. It’s that silky, sugary goodness that just makes us feel so satisfied. Unfortunately, it seems that so many of the options out there to fulfill that craving are highly processed and artificial.
Otherwise, many sweet foods and drinks are loaded with added sugars.
Fruits such as watermelons, however, are naturally sweet while also offering plenty of nutritional value.
Prepping Your Watermelon
Before we get into how to juice a watermelon, there are some preparatory steps to get out of the way.
Selecting a Watermelon
There’s no difference in how to juice a watermelon between the different watermelon varieties, but it is important that you don’t use an underripe watermelon. An underripe watermelon will have less juice, be less sweet, and be pulpier.
However, since the goal is to juice the watermelon, it shouldn’t be a problem if your melon is a little overripe. Although overripe watermelons may not be the best for eating, since they’re still sweet and juicy, they’ll work just fine.
Additionally, it will be easiest to choose a watermelon of a seedless variety. If your watermelon has seeds though, don’t fret, it’ll still be fine. And no, you won’t have to go through it picking out individual seeds.
For more information on choosing a watermelon, you may find this detailed guide on how to tell when watermelon is ripe useful.
Slicing the Melon
Watermelons are large fruits, and it’s likely that you won’t want to use the whole thing at once. Lay it down on your cutting board and slice off the endcap of the melon’s rind so that it exposes the fruit.
Then, make a parallel cut along the body of the melon that gives you the amount that you want to use. Cover the rest of the melon and store it in the refrigerator for later.
Lay the chunk of melon you’re using face down on the cutting board and shave off the rind with diagonal cuts with your knife. For the sweetest juice possible, remove all of the white rind from the fruit. Finally, cube the melon.
How to Juice a Watermelon
The hard part is done. There’s not much left to learning how to juice a watermelon. There are a couple of ways to finish the process, but perhaps the simplest one is just to toss the watermelon cubes into your blender or food processor.
Next, blend it until it’s smooth. You may need to do this in batches depending on how much watermelon you’re juicing and the size of your blender, but this process should regardless be very quick.
Adding a Touch of Citrus
Squeeze half of a small lemon or lime into the juice and stir it in. This will help to both bring out the watermelon juice’s sweet, fruity flavor and to preserve it for longer if you decide to store it in the refrigerator.
Straining the Juice
Pour the blended watermelon through a strainer into a bowl. This will remove the pulp and any crushed-up seeds.
If you’re worried about some seed particulates making their way into your strained juice, remember that despite what you may have heard as a kid, watermelon seeds are 100% edible. They are not toxic whatsoever.
Enjoy Your Watermelon Juice!
That’s it! Pour the strained juice into a pitcher or directly into a glass and enjoy. You now have a sweet, hydrating beverage. It’s especially excellent when chilled, so set it in the fridge for a few hours. It’s the perfect juice to sip on during a hot summer day.
An Amazing Watermelon Juice Recipe: Watermelon Lemonade
Now that we’ve learned how to juice a watermelon, let use it to make something really special! Keep reading for a great watermelon juice recipe.
Watermelon juice is sweet and refreshing, but with the following watermelon lemonade recipe we can take it to the next level.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 4-5 cups of your watermelon juice
- 3 1/2 cups of cold water
- An ice cube tray (optional)
- Mint leaves (optional)
- Watermelon rind (optional)
The following can be substituted for store-bought lemonade or lemonade powder:
- 2/3 cup of lemon juice
- 1/2 cup white sugar
Instructions
Prepping the Watermelon Juice
Fill your ice cube tray with your watermelon juice and place the tray in the freezer.
Then, measure out 3 cups of watermelon juice and set aside in the refrigerator to chill.
Make the Lemonade
In a large pitcher, add the cold water, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir well until all the sugar is dissolved. Feel free to use more or less sugar as desired.
Mix!
Pour your watermelon juice into the lemonade pitcher. Taste it at intervals to achieve your perfect ratio of watermelon to lemonade.
Pour, Garnish, and Serve
Now it’s time to serve! Pour your watermelon lemonade into a nice tall glass and add your watermelon juice ice cubes. They’ll continue to fortify your beverage’s watermelony flavor as they melt.
Finally, if you’d like, add a garnish of mint leaves and/or watermelon rind to really finish off the picture of perfection that is your glass of watermelon lemonade!
For another amazing watermelon juice recipe, try this guide on how to make a watermelon smoothie!
Sweet, Smooth, Refreshing Watermelon Juice
Now that we’ve covered how to juice a watermelon and given you an amazing, thirst-quenching watermelon juice recipe, there’s so much more that we’d like to offer you!
At Minneopa Orchards, we have so many articles on all things watermelon-related. We have everything from posts on yellow watermelons to guides on choosing the best watermelon fertilizer.
Otherwise, we highly recommend you check out our in-depth flagship article on watermelon plants. Come explore all the ways to enjoy watermelons!