Fruit syrup
Watermelon Syrup
Fresh watermelon blended with sugar, strained and never cooked. Tastes like the first cold slice of summer.
- 10 min total
- 12⁄3 cups390 ml
- Keeps 5 days
Quick answer
Watermelon syrup is fresh watermelon blended with sugar until the sugar dissolves, then strained and brightened with lime. Blend 2 cups cubed watermelon with 1 cup sugar for about a minute, strain, stir in 1 tbsp lime juice and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Watermelon hates heat. Cook it and the crisp, bright flavor turns flat, like warm melon, and the pink fades toward brown. So this syrup skips the stove entirely: the blender liquefies the fruit and dissolves the sugar at the same time.
Watermelon is about 90% water, so no extra water goes in. The trade-off for that fresh flavor is a short fridge life of about 5 days, so make it when you plan to use it, or freeze it in cubes.
Tastesfresh watermelonjuicylight
The recipe
Watermelon Syrup
Ingredients for 12⁄3 cups390 ml
You’ll need: blender, fine-mesh strainer, kitchen scale, swing-top bottle, ice cube tray, Glass Beverage Dispenser with Spigotblender, fine-mesh strainer, kitchen scale, swing-top bottle, ice cube tray, Glass Beverage Dispenser with Spigot
Method
-
Prep
Scrub the watermelon rind under running water and dry it before cutting, so nothing on the skin ends up in the fruit. Cut away the rind and cube the flesh, flicking out any black seeds.
2 cups300 g seedless watermelon
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Blend
Blend the watermelon and sugar on high for about 1 minute, until completely liquid and a drop rubbed between your fingers no longer feels gritty.
1 cup200 g granulated sugar
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Strain
Pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, stirring gently to help it through. Let the foam settle for a few minutes, then skim it off.
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Finish and bottle
Stir in the lime juice and the salt, if using. Funnel into a clean bottle and refrigerate right away. Shake before using, because it settles as it stands.
1 tbsp1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Storage. Keep it cold and use it within 5 days. Uncooked fruit syrups can start to ferment after that; a fizzy or boozy smell means it's done. Freeze extra in ice-cube trays for up to 3 months and drop the cubes straight into lemonade or sparkling water.
Per 1 tbsp (15 ml): about 30 kcal, 7.7 g sugar (estimate).
How to use it
Watermelon agua fresca
1½ oz (45 ml) syrup, ½ oz (15 ml) lime juice and 6 oz (180 ml) cold water over ice, with a lime wheel.
Watermelon margarita
2 oz (60 ml) blanco tequila, 1 oz (30 ml) lime juice and 1 oz (30 ml) watermelon syrup, shaken hard and strained over ice. Try a chili-lime salt rim.
Watermelon mojito
Muddle 8 mint leaves with ¾ oz (22 ml) lime juice in a highball. Add 2 oz (60 ml) white rum, 1 oz (30 ml) syrup and crushed ice, stir, and top with 2 oz (60 ml) soda water.
Watermelon lemonade
1 part syrup, 1 part fresh lemon juice and 3 parts cold water, over ice.
Watermelon spritz
1 oz (30 ml) syrup and 3 oz (90 ml) prosecco over ice, topped with a splash of soda water.
Classic drinks with Watermelon syrup
Gear for this recipe
Ninja Professional 72 oz Countertop Blender (BL610)
1000 watts pulverizes almonds for orgeat and makes no-heat blender syrup in a minute. Big pitcher for party batches.
Best for Orgeat and no-heat syrups
KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender (KHBV53)
Best for Fruit purées and orgeat
Glass Beverage Dispenser with Spigot (2 gal)
Best for Parties and showers
W&P Peak Silicone Ice Cube Tray
Best for Freezing syrup portions
More gear for this recipe (4)
Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale (11 lb)
Best for Exact ratios, every batch
Otis Classic 16 oz Swing-Top Glass Bottles (6-pack)
Best for Storing and gifting any syrup
Cuisinart Fine Mesh Stainless Strainers (set of 3)
Best for Every infused or fruit syrup
Ellie's Best Pro Quality Nut Milk Bag (12 x 12 in)
Best for Orgeat and pulpy fruit syrups
Tips for the best batch
- Wash the rind before you cut. Melons grow on the ground, and a knife can carry whatever is on the skin into the flesh.
- Pick a watermelon that feels heavy for its size and has a creamy-yellow patch where it rested on the ground.
- Seeded watermelon is fine, but pick out the black seeds first. Blending cracks them and can add a bitter, gritty edge.
- For a crystal-clear syrup, strain a second time through damp cheesecloth or a coffee filter.
- A pinch of salt makes watermelon taste sweeter and juicier, the same reason people salt the slices.
Variations
Watermelon mint
Blend 10–12 fresh mint leaves with the fruit. Use within 3 days, because the mint darkens.
Spicy watermelon
Steep 3–4 thin jalapeño slices in the strained syrup in the fridge for 1 hour, then remove them. Made for spicy margaritas.
Warm-process
Blend and strain the watermelon first, then warm the juice with the sugar over low heat just until dissolved, without simmering. A little less bright, but it keeps up to a week.
Questions people ask
Why don't you cook watermelon syrup?
Heat dulls watermelon fast: it starts to taste cooked and flat, and the pink turns brownish. Blending dissolves the sugar without heat, so you keep the fresh flavor.
How long does watermelon syrup last?
About 5 days in the fridge, because it's uncooked. Freeze it in ice-cube trays for up to 3 months.
Why did my watermelon syrup separate?
Fine pulp settles to the bottom as it sits. It's normal, so just shake the bottle. For a syrup that stays clear, strain it again through cheesecloth or a coffee filter.
Can I use seeded watermelon?
Yes. Pick out the black seeds before blending, because crushed seeds can make the syrup bitter. The soft white seeds in seedless melons are fine.
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