- Prep
- 15 min
- Total time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 75 kcal
Quick summary
“A pure, highly hydrating drink made with fresh watermelon blended with lemon juice and fresh mint leaves. Filtering through a fine sieve ensures a velvety and translucent texture, ideal for quenching thirst on hot days.”
What you need to know
- The natural water content of ripe watermelon dispenses with large volumes of water, preserving the fruit's sweetness.
- The citric acid of the lemon zest enhances the sweet notes and prevents premature oxidation of the reddish juice.
- The fine mesh straining process separates coarse fibers, generating a light nectar texture without sediment.
Ingredients
Main
- cups (cubes) Fresh watermelon, seedless
- tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
- cup Fresh mint leaves
- cup (optional) Cold filtered water
- tablespoons Honey or agave syrup (optional)
- Ice
Instructions
Principal
- Prepare the watermelon, cutting it into cubes and removing all visible seeds. Wash the fresh mint leaves and set aside. Squeeze the Sicilian lemon juice, ensuring it is fresh for the best flavor.
- In the blender, add the watermelon cubes, lemon juice, mint leaves, and filtered water (if using). Beat at high speed until you get a completely homogeneous and liquid mixture. The professional technique is to ensure complete grinding.
- For a super smooth nectar, strain the mixture through a fine sieve or a cheesecloth. Press firmly to extract all the liquid. This step removes any pulp residue and ensures a velvety texture, characteristic of premium drinks.
- Taste the nectar and adjust the sweetness, if desired, by adding honey or agave syrup. Serve immediately in tall glasses with plenty of ice. The most important tip is the temperature: it should be served very cold to maximize freshness.
Chef's tips
- Use watermelon previously refrigerated for 4 hours so that the drink comes out of the blender at the perfect temperature.
- Blend the mint for only 15 seconds to extract the aromatic minty oil without shredding the leaves into granules.
- Press the pulp retained in the strainer with a ladle to extract every last drop of the fruit's concentrated nectar.
Variations
- Effervescent version: fill half the glass with the strained nectar and top with well-chilled sparkling water.
- Version with ginger: add a thin slice of fresh peeled ginger to the blender before blending.
- Fruit popsicle version: pour the strained nectar into popsicle molds with whole mint leaves and freeze.
Substitutions
- Sicilian lemon can be replaced by fresh Tahiti lime or Persian lime juice in the same dosage.
- Mint leaves can be replaced with fresh basil sprigs or bruised lemongrass leaves.
- Honey can be replaced by agave syrup, light cane molasses, or simply omitted if the fruit is sweet.
How to store
Keep the strained nectar in a sterilized and capped glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Since the liquid tends to settle on standing, shake the bottle vigorously before serving over ice in glasses.
Can it be frozen?
The nectar can be frozen in ice cube trays for up to 2 months. Watermelon and mint ice cubes are excellent for flavoring glasses of sparkling water, fresh lemonades, or cocktails without altering the concentration.
What to serve with
Pairs with light beach snacks, fresh fruit salad, fresh goat cheese with toast, or light sandwiches.
Frequently asked questions
How to choose the ideal watermelon for this type of juice?
Choose a fruit heavy for its size, with a yellowish spot on the peel where it rested on the ground, a sign of sweet and ripe fruit.
Is it mandatory to strain the watermelon blended in the blender?
Straining is recommended to achieve the light consistency of nectar; however, consuming it with the fibers preserves a higher nutritional content.
Can I sweeten the nectar with regular granulated sugar?
You can, but honey or agave dissolve more easily in the cold liquid without accumulating crystals at the bottom of the glass.
Why does the drink start to separate phases in the refrigerator?
The separation between natural water and fine pulp particles is a natural physical process; just shake to homogenize.
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