Watermelon Lemonade Concentrate Canning Recipe
This watermelon lemonade concentrate canning recipe is such an easy way to have a refreshing drink ready to go at any time. Who doesn’t love watermelon and lemonade! Canning this concentrate allows you to have this delicious summer drink ready to make even during the cold days of winter!
This takes just 3 ingredients and you can have this refreshing lemonade with the wonderful taste of watermelon at a moment’s notice. This watermelon lemonade is the perfect summer drink for BBQs, picnics, poolside parties and more! Easy to make and so incredibly refreshing!
Lemonade is delicious on it’s own but the addition of sweet watermelon makes this flavored lemonade something special for sure.
Ingredients for Watermelon Lemonade Concentrate
- 6 cups of pureed watermelon (About 1/2 of medium watermelon)
- 4 cups of Lemon Juice (fresh or bottled)
- 2 to 6 cups Sugar
- Note: The original Ball recipe calls for 6 cups of sugar. I have seen similar versions that use as low as 4. I only used 2 cups of sugar and thought it was good, but I like my lemonade more tart than sweet and try to avoid sugar in my diet as much as possible. So basically add sugar to your preference and taste.
- This concentrate is added to 1 to 3 parts water depending again on your taste. I used 3 parts (which would be 3 pints) of water to the 1 pint of concentrate.
Detailed Steps for Making Watermelon Lemonade Concentrate for Canning
The first step to make the watermelon lemonade concentrate for canning is to cut up the watermelon and puree in a food processor.
There is an option to strain the pureed watermelon through a sieve, but I just used it as is from the food processor with the couple little seeds and it turned out fine. Add 6 cups of pureed watermelon to a large stock pot.
Add the lemon juice and sugar to the pot.
Gently heat the mixture to around 190 degrees, but do not boil. Stir and make sure the sugar is dissolved. Ladle the hot watermelon lemonade mix to pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims and place lids on the jars. Add the filled hot mason jars to the boiling water bath canner with a jar lifter. For information on canning see my article about a guide to beginning canning.
I use the Ball electric water bath canner for water bath canning and love it.
Remove the hot jars from the boiling water bath with a jar lifter and place jars on a dish towel on the counter. Do not disturb for 24 hours.
Enjoy!
Each pint of concentrate will make a gallon of strawberry lemonade. Just add 1 pint of home-canned concentrate to 3 pints water and serve over ice. The amount of water is subject to taste, I did like it with 3 pints of water.
Also try my blueberry and strawberry lemonade concentrates!
For more of my home canning recipes and other favorite recipes, plus posts about other homestead-type activities, such as gardening and raising chickens, go to my website at www.HawkPointHomestead.com. For updates, please follow my Facebook page at Hawk Point Hobby Homestead.
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Watermelon Lemonade Concentrate Recipe
This watermelon lemonade concentrate canning recipe is such an easy way to have a refreshing drink ready to go at any time. Who doesn't love watermelon and lemonade! This takes just 3 ingredients, and a little work, you can have this refreshing lemonade with the wonderful taste of watermelon at a moment's notice.
Ingredients
- 6 cups of pureed watermelon
- 4 cups of Lemon Juice (fresh or bottled)
- 2 to 6 cups Sugar *See Note - Use preferred amount of sugar
- This concentrate is added to 1 to 3 parts water depending again on your taste. I used 3 parts water, which would be 3 pints of water added to the 1 pint of concentrate.
Instructions
- Cut up the watermelon.
- Puree the watermelon in a blender or food processor and puree until the watermelon is liquified.
- Add the liquid watermelon, lemon juice, and sugar to a pan and gently heat it to around 190 degrees, but do not boil. Stir and make sure the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the hot watermelon lemonade mix to pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
- Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims and place lids on the jars. Add the filled hot mason jars to the boiling water bath canner with a jar lifter.
- Process jars at a full rolling boil for 15 minutes.
- Remove jars and do not disturb for 24 hours.
This concentrate is added to 1 to 3 parts water depending again on your taste. I used 3 parts water.
Notes
The original Ball recipe calls for 6 cups of sugar. I have seen similar versions that use as low as 4. I only used 2 cups of sugar and thought it was very good, but I like my lemonade more tart than sweet and try to avoid sugar in my diet as much as possible. So basically add sugar to your preference and taste.
I’m really excited to try, What is it’s shelf time?
The shelf life of most home canned foods is officially said to be a year to 18 months, but canned food can last longer.
Sorry to ask but new to canning, when you say 3 parts water to this recipe how much is that?
that is a very good question and I just went and edited the recipe to make it more clear. It means that you add 3 pints of water to the 1 pint of concentrate to make your pitcher of watermelon lemonade. Thanks so much for asking and for checking out my recipe!