The perfect cooler for a hot summer's day. It's watermelon in a glass. Can be served with or without the vodka.
NOTE: The amount of juice you get depends on the size of the watermelon.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information on ingredients and methods.
You'll need an immersion blender or regular blender, or do it the old fashion way and use a colander.
Cut the watermelon in half, then into wedges.
When the container is about 3/4 full, juice the flesh using an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and blend.
Strain the juice by pouring it through a strainer into a large bowl. Use a spatula to move the pulp around so as much of the juice as possible can strain through.
Fill the glass with watermelon juice*.
The juice keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can always freeze what you don't use.
The lime – In some cases, lemon can be substituted for lime; however, this is not one of those cases. We've tried these with lemon as well as preserved lemon and neither worked. So stick with lime.
The vodka – For a watermelon cocktail, vodka works quite well. If you’ve ever spiked a whole watermelon by cutting a small hole in the rind, and inserting a bottle of vodka upside down, then you already know this. I’m not sure if another alcohol like gin, tequila, or rum would work, but you could always give one of those a try. If you do, please let me know how it works.
Sweetener – If the watermelon you pick is ripe, the juice should be plenty sweet; therefore, no sweetener is needed. However, if the watermelon is not quite ripe, then you might choose to add a little of your preferred sweetener.
Watermelon ice cubes – If you get a chance, make the ice cubes. The cubes keep the cocktail from becoming watered down as you sip it. For the cooler (the non-alcoholic version), it really doesn’t matter. The coolers go down so quickly that the ice doesn’t have a chance to melt.
Variations – These coolers are very intensely watermelon. Here are other ways to use the juice:
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen