Watermelon Lemonade

I saw this recipe in the July 2008 Everyday Food and found my self wondering what the brown sugar added to the recipe. How would that taste? So I decided to make it for the Fourth of July Parade Party that M & I have. Well, we were going to have. It seems that they change the parade route every other year and this year, it didn't go by our house. There is always next year. Luckily, it goes by J & K's house the opposite year! 

This pink lemonade was lightly watermelony and slightly tangy from the lemon. The brown sugar added an interesting depth and fullness of flavor. M said, "There are so many tastes going on. And they all work." I had to agree.

My only change I'd make for this recipe is to cut back on the sugar. I think that I'd use a 1/4 cup to muddle and add a simple syrup if it was needed. Adding syrup at the end gives you a better way to make adjustments depending on your fruit's sweetness.

I learned that when you don't have light brown sugar, you can substitute 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 dark brown sugar.  Just something I thought I'd pass on.

Watermelon Lemonade
Everyday Food - July 2008

2 lemons, quartered
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 medium seedless watermelon (about 9 pounds), rind removed, flesh cut into chunks
1 cup vodka (optional)

Squeeze lemons into a large pitcher; add squeezed lemon quarters. Add mint and sugar; mash with a wooden spoon until mint is bruised and sugar is dissolved.

In a blender, puree watermelon in batches until smooth; pour through a fine-mesh sieve into pitcher (you should have about 8 cups of juice). Stir to combine. (Refrigerate, covered, up to 3 days.) Add vodka, if using; serve over ice.

Robb