Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Watermelon-Berry Margaritas

While local watermelons won't be available for a while, there are plenty of nice-looking watermelons at the grocery store. From giants to personal-sized watermelons, they're all represented. Seedless and yellow, too.

I love watermelon. It's so ... cooling. Refreshing. Bright. Crisp.

And, the flavor makes a great cocktail.

Yes, I said cocktail. A nice, fresh, summery cocktail.

This time around, I combined the watermelon with some strawberries - might as well keep the color consistent - and then there was tequila.

To make the watermelon-strawberry juice, I used a juicer. I suppose you could use a blender to make a beverage with a smoothie-like texture, or you could blend then strain to remove seeds and excess pulp. My juice had a little body to it, but it wasn't super-thick.

Watermelon-Strawberry Margarita

1 ounce tequila
1/2 ounce agave syrup
1/2 ounce lime juice
Watermelon-strawberry juice, as needed (recipe follows)

You can make your margarita three different ways - blend with ice in a blender for a frozen margarita, serve it over ice, or shake with ice in a shaker, then strain. How you make it is up to you.

And ... of course you can adjust the sweetness or tartness by adding more or less agave syrup or lime juice.

But I think this formula is a good start. Then give it a taste and adjust to your liking. Once you've got the exact formula, mix up a pitcher or two.

Garnish your glass with a slice of lime. Some chunks of watermelon on a skewer would also be great. Or just have a small bowl of watermelon chunks to munch on. It's amazing how quickly they disappear.

Hint: if your watermelon isn't as sweet as you'd like it to be, add a teeny sprinkle of salt, and it will taste sweeter. You don't want salty watermelon, so be conservative.

Watermelon-Strawberry Juice

1 pint strawberries
6-8 cups chunked watermelon.

Process the berries and watermelon through your juicer. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate until needed.
Watermelon Berry Margaritas (and how to make watermelon-strawberry juice)
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