Watermelon Lemonade

Heat sugar, 1 cup of water, and mint leaves (roughly torn to help infuse the flavor better) in a small pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar completely dissolves. This is your simple syrup. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Blend the cubed watermelon and lemon juice in a blender until pureed.

Strain the mint from the simple syrup and add the syrup to the blender. Pulse the blender to blend everything together. If it tastes too sour at this point, blend in a little more watermelon. If it’s too sweet, add in a little more lemon juice (keep in mind the mixture will be diluted with water).

Pour mixture into a pitcher and add the remaining 4 cups of water. Stir. Refrigerate about 30 minutes, or until chilled. Serve over ice.

Notes:
1. You can make this without the mint, though I love the additional flavor.
2. If you want this lemonade completely smooth, you can strain the lemonade mixture prior to adding the 4 cups of water. Otherwise, it will have a slightly “pulpy” texture from the watermelon.
3. If the flavor is too strong for your taste, add a little more water at the end.