Nothing beats eating slices of refreshing watermelon on a hot summer day.  Packed with vitamins C and A, watermelon is a quintessential picnic and potluck food and always a favorite especially children.

I remember a time our family enjoyed a picnic along the shores of Lake Washington at Matthew’s Beach.  Eli had just turned three years old and I brought a whole watermelon expecting to take at least half of it home.  But the weather that day had been unusually hot.  When I cut into our watermelon I watched Eli eat slice after slice and was both amazed and concerned by his appetite.  On one hand I thought it was cute watching the red juices drip down his chin, despite the pink stains on his white t-shirt.  I wondered if eating too much watermelon was a bad thing, but I rationalized with myself that he was only eating water with a little bit of fiber.

With a bulging little belly full of fruit and a pile of thick green rind slices next to him, Eli impressively put down a half watermelon all by himself.  I’ll always remember that day!

I know my Eli isn’t the only kid who loves watermelon and today I have a recipe using this kid-favorite fruit.  An elevated adaptation of a summer classic drink, today I’m sharing with you a fantastic, thirst quenching recipe for Watermelon Mint Lemonade.  Sweetened with agave syrup, this drink is the perfect balance between sweet and tart with a refreshing subtle flavor of mint. 

This is the perfect recipe to serve guests during the Fourth of July holiday weekend coming up.  Kids will love this all-natural vibrant summer drink and parents will appreciate this new fun and delicious way to use leftover watermelon, which can take up a lot of space in the refrigerator.

Recipe: Watermelon Mint Lemonade

• Prep Time: 15 min(s)
• Total Time: 15 min(s)
• Servings: 6

A refreshing summer beverage.

Ingredients

• 6 cups seedless watermelon, cubed in 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup agave syrup
• ½ cup loosely packed mint leaves
• Lemon slices
• Fresh mint sprigs

Instructions

• Blend the watermelon and water in a blender until smooth. (You may need to do this in 2 batches.)
• Strain the pureed watermelon in a fine mesh over a large bowl. Discard the pulp and rinse the blender container out with water.
• Add the watermelon liquid, lemon juice, agave syrup, and mint back into the blender container and blend until the mint is completely blended.
• Transfer the Watermelon Mint Lemonade into a juice pitcher or pour directly over six tall glasses filled with ice. Garnish each glass with a sliced lemon and a small mint sprig.

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