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Fresco de Melon: Cantaloupe Juice (with or without rum)

Julia Gartland

BY The Editors

PUBLISHED May 28, 2025

This refreshing drink can be made with any variety of melon; with a tropical fruit, such as mango or papaya; or with a combination of fruits. Just be sure any fruit you use is ripe and flavorful. This cantaloupe version is particularly bright. Serve it ice cold! – Hawa Hassan

 

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Fresco de Melon: Cantaloupe Juice (with or without rum)

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Makes 4 to 6 servings 1x

Time about 2 hours, largely unattended

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks (4 to 5 cups)
  • 4 cups cold water
  • 1/2 cup superfine sugar
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Ice cubes
  • 1 to 2 ounces dark rum per serving (optional)

Instructions

In a blender, combine the cantaloupe, water, sugar, and lime juice and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, 1 to 2 hours.

When ready to serve, fill tall glasses with ice, then add 1 to 2 ounces rum to each glass, if desired. Pour the melon mixture over the ice and serve immediately.

– Recipe from Setting a Place for Us: Recipes and Stories of Displacement, Resilience, and Community from Eight Countries Impacted by War

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