It’s hot girl summer & so stay hydrated with the most refreshing agua fresca that makes you feel like you’re lounging by the pool (even if you’re chillin’ in your living room). This easy Cantaloupe Melon Juice is a perfect way to trick yourself into drinking more water – because hydration is wayyy more fun when it’s fruity!
Icy cold fresh melon juice is a popular Filipino classic made of only 3 ingredients! It’s one of my healthier drink recipes that’s light, refreshing, and definitely down for a party!
Serve it up poolside with your giant unicorn floatie or at your next backyard family BBQ with charred Kalbi or lemongrass chicken with an easy Mango Graham Float, Mango Sago, Filipino Taho for dessert! Cheers homie – summer has arrived!
What are the Health Benefits of Cantaloupe?
Besides being satisfying AF on a blazing hot day, melons like cantaloupe are packed with all the good stuff our bodies thank us for:
- Super Hydrating: Watermelons get hella hype for being hydrating but did you know that cantaloupes have 90% water content?? YEP, don’t sleep on this fruit. It’s a great why to stay hydrated while also getting other vitamins & minerals like…
- Vitamin C & Vitamin A: Just one cup of cantaloupe gives you a full day’s worth of vitamin C that helps with cell damage. Plus it also has vitamin A that boosts your immune system!
- Potassium: Bananas aren’t the only fruit that help with leg cramps. These juicy melons also have potassium, which can also help with blood pressure. So basically, whether you’re a cramping athlete or workaholic grinding long hours, get your cantaloupe in!
How to Pick the Perfect Cantaloupe
SO, we get it – cantaloupes are glorious BUT how do we pick the sweetest, ripest, juiciestttt one out of the bunch?
Easy. We use our senses.
- Stem: First of all, there shouldn’t be a stem, otherwise, it’s for sure not a ripe canteloupe. Next, gently press where the stem would be & it should have a little give. If there’s no give, it’s underripe.
- Smell Test: Don’t be shy, take a whiff of that delicious melon! The more fragrant it is, the sweeter it’ll be. It should smell sweet & slightly musky… Mmm what a combo, kinda reminds me of my husband lol. Okayyy, moving on…
- Weight: It should feel heavy for it’s size. Kinda like me after a buffet lol Okayyy, moving on…
- Color & Pattern: The netted pattern on the cantaloupe should be slightly raised and a creamy color instead of green.
- It’s Overripe If: You gently press the stem area & it leaves a dent OR if you shake the melon and hear a sound, the cantaloupe is overripe. The sound means seeds already detached & it’s overripening *sadness*
OKAY, now go forth & pick that PERFECT melon for your cantaloupe juice that’s practically screaming, “Hey, I’m ripe & readyyyy! Take me home!”
🥘How to Make Cantaloupe Melon Juice
Give the rind of the melon a good wash & scrub before slicing it open to get rid of any dirt and grime that inevitably gets caught. No one wants that in their drinks lol.
Remove the seeds and then the fun part! Create long beautiful ribbons of melon by shredding the melon flesh using a melon scraper! These will continue to infuse flavor into the drink while it chills in the fridge. PLUS, they’re so fun to slurp when you sip on your icy drink! You can even serve it up with wide-mouth straws if you want for even easier slurpage lol.
Technically, you can use a box grater too but you’ll need to remove the rind from the melon to easily grate it. The strands will be much shorter and thinner but it still works!
Combine the melon, cold water, & simple syrup in a pitcher. And since you’re making it yourself, adjust it to however sweet you want!
Serving
The best way to enjoy this Filipino melon juice by FAR is chilled straight from the fridge. It’s SO refreshing & satisfying, like the cold side of your pillow after a long day.
But if by chance, you leave your glass of cantaloupe juice out for too long and it becomes room temp, adding ice will dilute the juice flavor. To prevent that, freeze some of the juice into ice cubes OR use regular ice cubes and make the melon juice slightly sweeter.
Creamy Version
Create a creamy version by adding a splash of milk into your drink right before serving! It gives your fresh drink a satisfying richness.
It’s important to add the milk right before serving – not to the entire pitcher! The milk and cantaloupe combo can taste bitter over time, so it’s best to stir in your drink right before sipping and enjoy immediately.
🧋 More Refreshing Recipes You’ll Love
Let’s get cooking!
Get into my secret stash of Goody-Packed Newsletters with meals planned for you & time-saving tips! Want step-by-step videos of how to make my recipes too? I gotchu over at my youtube channel. Aight, enough chatting, more eating!
Easy Cantaloupe Melon Juice
Ingredients
Simple Syrup:*
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Ingredients:
- 1 small 2-pound cantaloupe* cut in half, and seeds removed
- 4 cups cold water
- simple syrup recipe*
- Milk optional
Instructions
- In a small pot, make the simple syrup by combining the sugar and water.
- Heat the pot on medium and cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and allow syrup to cool while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Cut cantaloupe into large slices. Remove the flesh from the rind, cutting off any green parts of flesh because it’ll make the drink bitter. Using a melon/coconut scraper or large holed box grater, shred the cantaloupe flesh into long strands.
- Transfer the cantaloupe flesh and any of its juices to a large pitcher or airtight container, then add cold water and simple syrup and mix together.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours, up to overnight. The longer you’re able to allow the drink to steep, the more flavorful it’ll be.
- When it’s ready to serve, pour it into glasses and serve with ice. If you want your drink creamy, pour some milk into the serving glasses before enjoying!
Notes
- Melon/Coconut Scraper: This is what I used to easily create long strands of cantaloupe! It’s SO much easier to use than a box grater & highly recommend it. Alternatively, you can use a box grater but you’ll have short strands & is a bit messier, but still works.
- Simple syrup is very easy to make, however, if you’d like a healthier alternative, you can substitute it with ¼ cup of honey or agave. I don’t recommend granulated sugar because it doesn’t dissolve well in cold water and will end up as crunchy bits at the bottom of your container.
- Adjusting Sweetness: I enjoy a lightly sweet drink, so this melon juice has a touch of sweetness. However, if you have a sweet tooth, you can increase the sweetener to your liking! To increase the simple syrup, keep the water and sugar ratio 1 to 1.
- Cantaloupe: This recipe accounts for a 2-pound cantaloupe. If your cantaloupe weighs more, you can either use a portion of the melon or increase the recipe ingredients to match the large quantity.
- Creamy Melon Juice: If you’d like your melon juice to be on the creamy side, you can add milk to the drinking glasses before serving. I don’t recommend adding milk to the entire pitcher / container, however, the protein in the milk will break down overtime as it sits with the cantaloupe.
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
