courtesy of therunawayspoon.com
Mint Simple Syrup Ingredients1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3-4 nice leafy stems of mint
Tea1 family sized tea bag (I like Luzianne)
7 cups boiling water
A few more leafy mint stems
3 pound piece of fresh watermelon
Method- Place the tea bag and mint stems in a large pitcher. Pour over the boiling water and leave to steep for 8 – 10 minutes, until the tea is a dark amber color. Remove and discard the tea bag and the mint. Leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, cut the watermelon flesh into cubes and puree in a blender until smooth. You may need to add a little water to get things moving. Pour the puree into a strainer set over a bowl and gently push the pulp the release the juice. Don’t scrape and push too hard, or your tea will come out to pulpy. You should have about 3 cups of juice.
- Refrigerate the juice until the tea is cooled.
- In a pitcher or jug big enough to handle all the tea, mix the tea and the watermelon juice and stir well.
- Stir in the mint simple syrup to taste – how much you need depends on how sweet that watermelon is, but you are unlikely to use it all. Remember though that you want it a little sweeter in the pitcher, because the ice will dilute it a bit. Save any extra in the airtight jar in the fridge to sweeten other drinks..
- Serve over lots of ice with a sprig of mint.