High summer is here, and an abundance of beautiful, fresh fruit—colorful, juicy, and tempting—is everywhere. Most of the time, I’ll take a treat that is rich and chocolatey over just about anything, but at the tail end of summer I will take a dewy bunch of grapes or berries over a hot fudge sundae 10 out of 10 times. Summer fruit is a fleeting pleasure, so I sometimes feel a little pressure to really stock up. For some fruits like peaches or apples, I can bottle the goodness and save it for later, but some summer produce demands to be eaten right away.

There is, for instance, no great way to preserve watermelon. I came face to face with this fact after a recent trip to Costco, where I got a little carried away and came home with enough produce to feed a small nation, including a watermelon the size of a compact car. I am highly averse to wasting food, so I attacked that watermelon with the determination of a drill sergeant, incorporating watermelon into every meal for several days. To start with there were unadorned slices and cubes of melon on our plates for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then there were medleys of watermelon mixed with berries or citrus. The watermelon salad with chunks of feta, cucumber, and red onion was a triumph next to a grilled burger one evening. All of these were tasty and refreshing.

After all of that . . . I still had nearly a quarter of a watermelon left. Watermelon, like all fruit, will only last for so long, so I was working with limited time and the need to consume (still) a quantity of watermelon. I grabbed my blender and got to work. The result was something light, refreshing, icy-cold and deeply thirst quenching. As an added benefit, the process needed to make the drink creates a form of the fruit that is much more compact and easier to store in the refrigerator than a gigantic whole melon—not a primary concern, but a nice side benefit, nonetheless.

One thing about recipes involving fruit that might seem a little tricky is the level of sweetness you start with. Fruit naturally varies in sugar level based on a whole host of hard-to-predict variables in how they are grown, the season and the level of ripeness. So, even in the dog days of summer a ripe, juicy melon might be only moderately sweet. Honey is a nice way to sweeten a drink, but it has a flavor that can fight with the flavor of the fruit itself, so for drinks like this one, I make a quick simple syrup (water + sugar) in the microwave and then use it to achieve whatever level of sweetness that tastes good to me—sometimes that means just a teaspoon of syrup, while other times it might mean a quarter of a cup. Any leftover syrup can be kept in the fridge for several weeks.

The main components of this drink are watermelon and lime, and if you like the simplicity of those two flavors, you can certainly leave it at that. I have added a handful of strawberries for another element of flavor. An herbal component adds a little interest too, either blended into the drink or as a garnish that leaves behind just a whisper of flavor. I’ve used mint here, but basil is also delicious. No matter what, be sure to serve it over plenty of ice (use pebble ice or crushed ice if you can to achieve maximum cold) and top the drink off with sparkling water for a little summery fizz.

So, if you find your refrigerator is overflowing with too much of a good thing, grab your blender and a few frosty glasses to toast another beautiful summer day.

 

Watermelon berry refresher

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
• 1 cup strawberries, mashed
• Juice of two limes
• Fresh mint
• Extra limes for garnish
• Crushed ice
• Plain sparkling water or club soda

In a microwave safe container, cook the water on high for about a minute. Stir the sugar into the hot water until dissolved, then set aside to cool. In a blender, combine the watermelon, strawberries, and lime juice. If desired, add a leaf or two of mint to the blender, too. Pour the watermelon mixture through a sieve to remove any gritty texture, allowing it to drain. Discard the watermelon pulp. Stir a tablespoon or two of the sugar-water mixture into the watermelon mixture, then give it a taste—add more sugar water if you want more sweetness. Pour the watermelon mixture over ice to about ¾ full, then top with sparkling water. Garnish with mint and a slice of lime.