Last Updated on November 29, 2021 by Heather Wibbels
Stop cooking your watermelon syrup! I’m here to tell you I have an easy, hands-off way to get the flavor of fresh watermelon into an infused fruit simple syrup that is bursting with the same juices you find in each bite of that perfect summer watermelon. If there is one thing you take away from my entire site about summer cocktails it’s this: stop cooking your summer fruit syrups.
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Why Cooked Watermelon is Yucky
Have you ever had cooked watermelon in anything? No? Me neither, and there’s a reason. It tastes NOTHING like fresh watermelon. The flavor is muddied – not fresh and bright, and it tastes like watermelon flavoring.
If you’ve had a watermelon-flavored candy, you know that flavor is nothing like true watermelon’s taste. And it’s awful, nothing I want in my drink.
The normal way to create a fruit simple syrup involves heat. Fruit and water are combined over low heat with sugar, simmered for a bit, then cooled and strained. It’s great for some fruits, like blackberries, lemons, limes, rhubarb, and apples.
But for fruits that burst when fresh like strawberries, peaches, and melons, creating the simple syrup without cooking is the best way to preserve that fresh flavor.
How to Make Cold Process Homemade Watermelon Syrup
When I started to work with fruit-infused simple syrups I was disappointed in the strawberry and watermelon syrup recipes I found. All of them tasted like cooked fruit because I was, in fact, cooking the syrup as I made it.
But then I thought about the sugared strawberries my grandma would serve with whipped topping. In the morning, she would slice up strawberries and pour a cup of sugar on them. She’d let it rest until dinner. When she pulled it out the strawberries were swimming in a fresh strawberry syrup that kept the flavor of fresh berries.
So I tried her method and realized that adding sugar to most fruits causes the expression of juice from them. Behind the scenes, sugar is hygroscopic – which means when put in contact with something it attracts water. Sprinkling sugar on fruit pulls the water out of the cells in the fruit, and once that juice is in the jar or bag, it creates a simple syrup.
Because this process is done without cooking, the heat doesn’t alter the flavor of the compounds that make up the aroma and taste of the fresh fruit, leaving you with a syrup very close in flavor to fresh fruit.
The general process for a watermelon syrup recipe is the same as any other fruit. At home, I add 1 lb of fresh, cut fruit or berries to a zippered plastic bag or glass jar. I sprinkle 8 oz of sugar on top and muddle lightly to break down the fruit. Then I put it in the fridge overnight or for 24 hours.
When you remove it from the fridge, it will be a bright, vibrant color, and most of the juice will be clear. I mix it up a bit to finish dissolving the sugar, then use a metal sieve to strain out the syrup. I put the syrup in clean glass jar and store it in the fridge.
The resulting syrup is tastes bright and vibrant and preserves that fresh taste you get from a perfectly ripe berry or fruit.
How Long Does Fruit Simple Syrup Last
Because we’re not cooking the fruit-infused simple syrup, it will last about 10 days, but see below for a tip to extend that time into the 2 to 4-week duration.
If the syrups develop mold on the surface, the lip or the lid of the jar, it’s time to make a new batch. Melon syrups will settle at the bottom of the container, so don’t think there’s a problem if your syrup gets a little cloudy as you agitate it.
You can also freeze the simple syrup if you make a large batch. If the sugar to juice ratio is closer to 1:1 it will likely freeze solid, but closer to 2:1 and you can use it immediately from the freezer.
Tips and Tricks for this Watermelon Syrup Recipe
Here are a couple of simple tips to make your homemade watermelon syrup easier and more delicious:
- Use only ripe watermelons. Don’t use over-ripe melons or melons with cracks in them. To pick a ripe watermelon, tap it. Those that are heavy for their size and sound hollow inside are ripe and ready to eat. For more info on picking a ripe watermelon, head here: https://www.watermelon.org/watermelon-101/facts-faqs/
- Seedless watermelons work best here. While watermelon seeds aren’t harmful here, if any of them are cut or broken during the muddling process they’ll make the syrup taste just a tiny bit herbal or vegetal. Not a lot, just a small bit. Since you’ll be using it in small amounts it won’t make a big difference in the flavor profile of your cocktail, but it’s something to be aware of.
- Add vodka to the simple syrup to help it last longer. Because it isn’t cooked, cold-process fruit simple syrups don’t last as long. Sometimes as short as 10 days. Adding a bit of vodka helps them stay fresh and potent. I usually add ¾ oz to a 12-16 oz batch of simple syrup.
- Alter the ratio of sugar to fruit as needed. I generally start with 1 lb fruit to 8 oz sugar. I tweak the amount of sugar-based on the sweetness of the fruit and how much juice it expresses. Taste-testing is your best friend.
- Change the sugar you use. You can use brown sugar, raw sugar, cane sugar, and more. You can even muddle the fruit in honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar for the same effect.
Other Watermelon Cocktails You Might Enjoy
- Watermelon Whiskey Sour
- Watermelon Mint Julep
- Watermelon Mojito
- Watermelon Gimlet
- Tequila Watermelon Mule
- Peach Raspberry Bourbon Sour
Recommended Bar Tools
You don’t need every slick, beautiful bar tool out there, but there are several I’ll recommend. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, that does not affect the cost of the items below.) My favorite pieces usually come from the Cocktail Kingdom section of Amazon:
You may already have these bar essentials, but just in case:
No-Cook Watermelon Simple Syrup – The BEST watermelon syrup recipe for cocktails
Equipment
- metal sieve
- measuring cup
- glass jar
Ingredients
- 16 oz fresh, cubed watermelon
- 8 oz sugar
- ½ oz vodka optional – it keeps the syrup fresh much longer
Instructions
- Combine watermelon and sugar in a jar or a zippered plastic bag.
- Muddle them together a bit and put the bag or jar in the fridge.
- After 12 to 24 hours, stir up the contents until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Strain through a metal sieve.
- Store the watermelon syrup in a clean glass jar in the fridge.
- Optional: add ½ oz vodka to the simple syrup to help it last as long as 4 weeks.
This looks so delicious and perfect for cocktails. We love watermelon and this recipe is so easy! I can’t wait to make this!
I’ve never made a watermelon syrup before, but I’m glad that now I know the right way to do it! Can’t wait to give this a try, I think some great summer cocktails are in my future 🙂
Can’t believe this could be home-made! I am excited to give this a try with my family! They love this kind of drinks. Thank you!
This is very informative! Watermelon is one of my favorite fruits and I love the detailed explanation you have given here. Thanks for sharing.
This watermelon syrup is so easy to make and is the perfect addition to so many cocktail combos! I love this!
This method of making watermelon simple syrup is the best. Watermelon margaritas coming up. Cheers!
So much cheaper than the Torani syrups used by bars, you can buy it online for only about $7 but shipping is no less than $10 so $17+
I made this as part of our beverages for a wedding reception. Not only was it a hit at the vodka bar, it was absolutely wonderful in lemonade!! I will most definitely make it again!!
Here is another way. I make watermelon waffle syrup from organic commercial watermelon juice simmered slowly until it reduces 50% in volume then add sugar in equal volume to remaining concentrated juice. WONDERFUL melon flavor with almond/walnut overtones!
I’ll have to try this!!!
Can Erythritol or coconut sugar be substituted for the sugar in the watermelon syrup ???
Hi Linda, I’ve used all purpose In the Raw but it doesn’t pull the syrup out of the watermelon the way that true sugar does. If I’m doing the no-heat version I don’t use a sugar substitute for it for best results.
This is revelatory with champagne on a hot day! Everyone went wild for it & I didn’t tell them how easy it was to make. Even the color is refreshing!
Does this freeze well? I make kombucha and like to make extra syrup as I use 1/2 c at a time.
Yes, but it may not freeze completely because of the high sugar content. Be sure that the container is well sealed and that it’s on a place where it’s unlikely to tip over or spill.
Is the ounce measurement for the sugar supposed to be by weight or volume? I assume that the watermelon would be weight unless you mean two cups of watermelon.
I generally do it by volume and adjust it depending on how sweet the watermelon is. Sometimes the ones earlier in the season are not as sweet as those in later summer. If the syrup isn’t quite sweet enough I can always add a little more sugar to it it once I strain out the watermelon.
Hello,
I found a recipe for a watermelon cake that says to use watermelon syrup.
Like you, I hate the taste of “cooked” watermelon.
Can this syrup be used for baked goods?
Many thanx
Yes, it can, it will “cook” the taste a little but it will still takes better than cooked watermelon syrup.