This Refreshing Melon Water Was Made From Kitchen Scraps

Try making this refreshing melon water drink the next time you're slicing up honeydew or cantaloupe for breakfast. No blender needed.

I'm kind of obsessed with reducing waste in the kitchen any way I can. That could mean anything from eating celery leaves instead of tossing them out, to regrowing green onions from cut off ends. Which brings me to this aha moment I had when I was scooping the seeds out of a ripe honeydew melon. I noticed there was a small pool of juice in the hollow where the seeds used to be. This isn't the first time I'd ever seen it, but it was the first time I did anything about it.

Making Melon Water

First, I needed to reclaim any juice I'd already scooped out with the seeds and their surrounding spongy fibrous membrane. To do that, I grabbed a fine-mesh strainer small enough to fit over a measuring cup. Into that, I dumped the seeds and membrane. Then, using the back of the scoop, I pressed as much juice as I could through the strainer and into the measuring cup. Finally, I poured in the little pool of melon juice.

It measure only about ¼ cup of juice, but no matter. I filled the glass the rest of the way with about ¾ cup filtered water and 4 or 5 ice cubes. A sprig of pineapple mint topped it off for eye appeal.

The Taste Test

I was expecting the melon flavor to be quite diluted because of the amount of water I'd added, but it was actually sweet and refreshing. I think the strength of the flavor was down to the perfect ripeness of the melon, so your results may vary. But honestly, this turned out so well, I'm going to do this from now on. And I'll keep my eyes open for more opportunities to make the most of my kitchen scraps.

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