How to juice a watermelon using one of four methods, use the leftover pulp and rind, or turn the leftover melon into a watermelon keg – a unique, creative way to dispense drinks for BBQs and parties! Including tons of ways to customize the juice with herbs or even a cheeky bit of alcohol, you’re sure to find a watermelon juice recipe you love!

Fresh watermelon juice is one of my all-time favorite drinks for those warmer days – it’s sweet, refreshing, and super easy to make. In fact, within this post, I’ll take you through four separate methods to juice a watermelon including a watermelon juicer method, blender, immersion blender, and even handheld. As a bonus, I’ve included a method for making a watermelon keg – a unique way to serve up your watermelon recipe!

In under ten minutes, you can whips up a massive batch of fresh watermelon juice or even make a simple watermelon tap – minimal effort needed – perfect for parties, BBQs, cookouts, and parties! Top up the juice with other fruits, coconut water, alcohol, and/or herbs for even more flavor. 

In fact, I’ve shared my favorite methods to juice several other ingredients already including cucumber, tomato, turmeric, ginger, carrots, orange, and pomegranate!

Not only does watermelon juice taste delicious, but best of all, there are several watermelon juice benefits too. Since it’s 92% water, it’s an amazingly hydrating option (and low in calories!). However, it’s also high in Vitamin A, B, and C, as well as potassium and magnesium. It also contains high levels of the antioxidant lycopene (40% more than raw tomatoes!). Not to mention, it’s naturally sweet, which means no additional sweetener is necessary – just pure, fresh fruit juice!

Top Tips for Watermelon Juice

• Use seedless watermelons: this isn’t necessary, but seedless watermelons can be blended and enjoyed without straining. Whereas you probably won’t want to drink the little black seeds (though they are edible!).
• Choose a good watermelon: choosing the best watermelon based on the outside doesn’t always mean the prettiest one. Look for a watermelon with a distinct yellow ‘worn’ patch on one side of the melon (white is under-ripe, yellow is ripe), it should also be dull (shiny actually means underripe), and brown marks that look like little ‘scars’/veins are actually a good thing – usually meaning you have a lovely sweet melon inside!
• Don’t push the juice through the strainer: when straining the juice, abstain from pressing down on the pulp – this will actually make some of the pulp go through the strainer too. Instead, leave it to naturally drain over the container if you want juice that’s as pulp-free as possible.
• To avoid watered-down juice: you can freeze some of it into ice cubes to serve the juice with. That way it will stay chilled without becoming watered down.
• For a watermelon slushy: chop and then freeze the watermelon. Blend the frozen watermelon pieces, and you’ll have an instant watermelon slushy!

How to Juice a Watermelon (4 Methods)

First, you’re going to need to gather the watermelon. Since it’s going to be juiced, there’s no need to spend time cutting nice even pieces. You can simply chop the melon in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.

1. Watermelon Juicer Method

Perhaps surprisingly, using a juicer for watermelon juice is actually my least favorite method. All you need to do is chop your melon down to size, enough to fit your juicer chute. However, I’ve found that the remaining pulp is still quite ‘wet’, so it’s not optimal.

2. Using a Food Processor/Blender

You may need to do this in batches, based on how much melon you’re juicing. Place the watermelon flesh in your food processor/blender and process into a juice. This should only take 30-60 seconds!

Then, use a nut milk bag or sieve to remove the broken up seed pieces and any pulp.

When using this method, 35 oz/1 kg of watermelon resulted in 27.6 oz/782 g juice and about 5.75 oz/163 g pulp.

3. Using a Handheld/Immersion Blender

Place the watermelon flesh in a large bowl or container (i.e. the one that comes with the immersion blender but this would need to be done in batches). Then use the blender to blend the flesh into a thick pulpy juice.

With this method, the seeds will get crushed too, so you will still need to seive the juice if you prefer. Otherwise, you can keep the fiber/pulp in the juice for extra roughage.

Using this method, 35 oz/1 kg of watermelon resulted in 29.8 oz/846 g juice and 3.5 oz/100 g pulp.

4. Juice a watermelon by hand

For this method, you’ll need a nut milk bag and a bit of arm muscle. You won’t get quite as much juice extracted as other methods either, but it’s a good option if you don’t have any of the above gadgets. Plus, there’s no need to go through a second sieve step, as you’re already leaving the pulp behind!

Place the watermelon flesh in a large nut milk bag. Holding it over a large bowl, squeeze the bag with your hands to manually juice the watermelon.

With this method, 35 oz/1 kg of watermelon yielded 23.9 oz/679 g juice and about 7.8 oz/223 g pulp.

What to do with watermelon pulp and rind?

No matter which method you use, once you’ve extracted the juice, you’ll be left with some pulp or at least the watermelon rind. However, there’s no reason to chuck them straight into compost (or worse, the bin!).

Watermelon Pulp Uses

There are tons of ways to use the leftover watermelon pulp (not including adding some back into the juice for extra fiber!). Here are just a few ways you can enjoy the pulp.

• Add it to smoothies,
• Turn it into fruit leather,
• Use it in breakfast bowls along with yogurt (dairy, coconut, almond, or soy), fruit, and granola or muesli),
• Make jam/marmalade,
• Freeze it into ice cubes for summer juices – that way they won’t get watered down!
• Use it in a watermelon salsa/chutney,
• Use it in fruity popsicles,
• Plant the seeds,
• Use it to top pannacotta.

Watermelon Rind Uses

One of the worst things about enjoying a watermelon is all the rind leftover that nearly always goes to waste. Well, no more. Here are some suggestions for what to do with the rind:

• Watermelon rind jam/chutney,
• Use in an Indian curry,
• Add to a stir-fry,
• Candied rind,
• Watermelon rind pickles.

What you need to make a Watermelon Keg

All you need to make this watermelon keg/dispenser is a large watermelon, a sharp knife, a blender (immersion or jug), and a tap and stand (or anything to keep the melon up-right). 

Tip * Alternatively, if you can’t find anything to use as a ‘stand’, you can cut a very thin layer of melon from the bottom. Just enough to keep it upright, without going all the way through the rind.

How to make the Watermelon Keg/Dispenser

Cut off the top of the watermelon and set it aside.

With a knife or a scooper, break down a bit of the watermelon flesh.

Then you can either use a hand-held blender to blend the watermelon juice directly in the watermelon rind or you can scoop out the flesh and blend/juice it separately using the methods above.

If you are blending directly in the watermelon, pour it out from time to time and sieve to remove the seeds (not needed if you use a seedless melon). Set the juice aside.

Make sure to scoop out all the watermelon flesh from inside the rind.

Next, it’s time to place the tap in your watermelon keg. Make sure it’s low enough so all the juice can be dispensed, then press the tap against the skin to leave a slight mark. You can then use a sharp knife to make an incision – slightly smaller than the mark.

Insert the tap through the rind. It should go easy but you might need to wiggle it just a bit or go in a circular motion (as if inserting a screw).

Pro Tip: Check if there’s any flesh that has gotten into the end of the tap – it could potentially block the flow. Also, make sure you close the tap before you pour in the juice.

Pour in the sieved juice. You can optionally add some mint and ice cubes. Place the top of the watermelon as a lid. Enjoy your watermelon keg!

Pro tip: Make sure the lid doesn’t completely block the airflow, as then you cannot use the tap. Leave it slightly open or make a small incision in the back so the air can go in. 

You’re now left with a delicious, fun fruity party drink or healthy treat to enjoy all day long! Plus friends and family are sure to love this creative way to use watermelon! You can even serve it alongside a Herby Watermelon Feta Salad with Cucumber for the ultimate watermelon-filled brunch.

Watermelon Juice Recipes

Once you juice a watermelon, it’s time to use it up. Drink it as-is or use one of the suggestions below.

• Popsicles: use the juice for popsicles – with the simple juice, optionally with some mint and lime juice. Or make fresh watermelon granita (shaved ice).
• Jello: add some agar-agar and transform the watermelon juice into fun watermelon jello slices/shots.
• Add citrus: add a little lemon or lime to add zing to the watermelon juice.
• Sparkling watermelon juice: add some sparkling/carbonated water to the juice. To make watermelon lemonade, you can add some lemon juice or syrup too.
• Add more fruit: blend with other fruits like strawberries, raspberries, or pineapple (combine watermelon, pineapple, chili, cardamom, coconut water, and mint).
• Add herbs: mint works particularly well, as does basil. Watermelon mint juice is a particular favorite of mine.
• Add alcohol: add a little vodka or rose wine or turn the juice into a cocktail like a margarita, daiquiri, mojito, etc.
• Watermelon cucumber juice: I already have a method for cucumber juice. You could also just add some into the blender with the watermelon. Optionally add some herbs like mint.
• Make watermelon gazpacho (gazpacho de sandía).

More Fresh Juice Recipes

• How to Make Tomato Juice (3 Methods)
• How to Make Cucumber Juice (3 Methods)
• Freshly Squeezed Orange Carrot Juice
• Lemon, Ginger and Cayenne Immunity Shots
• Simple Beetroot And Ginger Juice Recipe
• Simple and Fresh Orange Juice With Ginger
• How to make Wheatgrass Shots and Juice
• Green Detox Celery Juice Blend
• Ginger Turmeric Immune-Boosting Energy Shots (juicer recipe)

If you give this fun watermelon recipe a go, let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Also, I love to see your creations, so feel free to tag me @AlphaFoodie.