Watermelon Lemonade

I had been wanting to try this recipe for quite a while, but could never bear to part with a delicious watermelon... until I got one that wasn't so delicious. I'm sure it was delicious at one point, but my watermelon picking skills were not at their peak and thus I came home with an overripe, mealy, not so great watermelon. This recipe is PERFECT for that, because you still get the sweet ripe flavor of the melon, without having to endure the mushiness.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes enough to fill two glasses with ice cubes; we quadrupled it to fill a pitcher.

1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh watermelon puree, strained through a coarse strainer to remove seeds
3 tablespoons simple syrup*
3/4 cup (6 ounces) cold water

Stir it all together and serve over ice. Garnish it with a thin watermelon or lemon wedge, if you’re feeling fancy.

*How to make Simple Syrup: Simmer one part water with one part sugar (I did a cup of each and ended up with more than I needed for a quadruple batch) until sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Or, for a speedier method, simmer one part sugar with half as much water and once it has dissolved, add the second half of the water, cold, which cools the mixture down faster.