Watermelon Juice with Honey and Salt
Whenever I travel to Sicily to visit family, my first stop in any city is the kiosk on each corner serving up fresh juices. Instead of a menu, the vendors pile seasonal fruits in baskets on the counter—pomegranates in December, blood oranges in February, cantaloupe in June, and watermelon in September. So even though I’m not much of a juice drinker (because I prefer eating whole food forms of fruit for more fiber to balance the sugar content), I found these juices to be so simple, charming, and refreshing that I started making them, on occasion, after I returned home.
Watermelon juice provides electrolytes
Watermelon one of the most hydrating foods you can eat—it’s as much as 90% water. But watermelon also provides potassium, which means it replaces electrolytes, too. In addition, watermelon is rich iron, and vitamins A and C, lycopene, and potassium.
Rich in brain-healthy lycopene
The riper and redder the watermelon, the more lycopene it contains. Lycopene is a plant pigment that gives fruits and vegetables their red or pink hue. Part of the carotenoid family of antioxidants, lycopene combats oxidative stress in the body and the brain. Lycopene has also been found (in animal studies) to inhibit the deposition of amyloid— the cement-like protein that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Besides watermelon, you can get lycopene by eating pink grapefruit, blood oranges, persimmons, red peppers, red cabbage, papaya, and tomatoes. Tomatoes have even more lycopene after they are cooked, such as in roasted cherry tomatoes, or simmered into chili or marinara sauce. Last August, one of my best friends was pregnant with her second child. Chasing a toddler while in the third trimester of pregnancy made it difficult for her to stay hydrated. I knew she loved my watermelon juice, so every few days I’d drop off a few mason jars of it at her house. I added a spoonful of raw honey and a generous pinch of salt to give her a boost of electrolytes. If you are following a low sodium diet, feel free to skip the salt. But I love how the salt accentuates the juicy watermelon flavor, and now this is how I make it from now on.
Adding honey and salt boosts flavor
Last August, one of my best friends was pregnant with her second child. Chasing a toddler while in the third trimester of pregnancy made it difficult for her to stay hydrated. I knew she loved my watermelon juice, so every few days I’d drop off a few mason jars of it at her house. I added a spoonful of raw honey and a generous pinch of salt to give her a boost of electrolytes. If you are following a low sodium diet, feel free to skip the salt. But I love how the salt accentuates the juicy watermelon flavor, and now this is how I make it from now on.
Prep Time | 10 min |
Servings |
cups
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- 8 cups watermelon cut into 2-inch cubes, from one 5-lb seedless watermelon
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1 - 2 sprigs fresh herbs, such as mint or basil optional
Ingredients
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- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and set aside.
- Place watermelon, honey and salt in a blender. Blend on high until no chunks remain. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in two batches. Pour into the strainer and press the pulp with a wooden spoon to extract all of the juice.
- Pour the juice into a container with a tight-fitting lid. Chill. When ready to serve, shake vigorously (because it tends to separate) and serve with a sprig of herbs, if using.
Prefer a watermelon juice with more texture? Skip the straining step. Or freeze the watermelon pulp, a good source of prebiotic fiber, to use as the base for your next smoothie.
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