This is the juice I make when the weather finally turns. There is nothing clever in it beyond two fruits, which is the whole point. Watermelon on its own is lovely but a bit thin, so the strawberries come in and give it some backbone. I have made it with a juicer and in a blender and there is no wrong answer, though the juicer version is quicker and gives you a cleaner glass.
Why these ingredients work
Watermelon is roughly 92 per cent water, which is why a glass of it feels like it quenches rather than just tasting nice, and it brings potassium and natural sugars along with it. Strawberries do the rest. A 300g punnet gives you more vitamin C than you would get from an orange, and their sharpness stops the drink turning syrupy. Between them they cover hydration, vitamin C and a decent hit of potassium for well under 150 calories a glass.
FAQ
Do I need to strain it?
Not if you use a juicer, the machine has already done it. If you blend it, pour the lot through a nut milk bag or a fine sieve and squeeze the pulp, otherwise you end up with something closer to a smoothie and it separates quickly in the glass.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes, but keep it cold and airtight. Fill the bottle right to the top so there is as little air in there as possible, and drink it within two days. Fresh juice loses its vitamin C the longer it sits, so day one is the best of it.
What if my watermelon is not very sweet?
Reach for riper strawberries rather than the sugar bowl. If it is still sharp, a little honey works better than syrup because it does not flatten the fruit, and you only need a teaspoon for the whole jug.
More weight-loss juices: see the full Weight Loss collection.
Watermelon Strawberry Juice
Equipment
- 1 Juicer masticating or centrifugal
- 1 High-speed blender for the blender method
- 1 Nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve to strain the blender version
- 2 Airtight glass bottles for storing
- 1 Budget cold press juicer a great value alternative
- 1 Budget blender a great value alternative
Ingredients
- 500 g watermelon flesh rind removed, cut into chunks, about a quarter of a small melon
- 300 g strawberries hulled, about 18 medium berries
Instructions
Juicer method
- Cut the rind off the watermelon and chop the flesh into chunks that fit your feed chute. Leave the seeds in, they get pushed out with the pulp.
- Hull the strawberries and feed them through after the watermelon.
- Juice everything together. Watermelon gives up a lot of liquid on its own and carries the strawberries through with it.
- Give the glass a stir. Drink it straight away, or pour it into a bottle and keep it cold for up to two days.
Blender method
- Chop the watermelon flesh and hull the strawberries, then put both in the blender.
- Blend on high for about a minute, until there are no lumps of fruit left.
- Pour it through a nut milk bag or a fine sieve over a jug. Squeeze the pulp to get the last of the juice out, then bin the pulp.
- Chill it for half an hour before drinking, or serve it over ice if you are in a hurry.