Method

Prepare Juice

Select and Chop Fruit

If using fresh pineapple: core and roughly chop about 2 cups of ripe pineapple. If using fresh watermelon: cube about 3 cups of seedless watermelon. Work with either fruit only — choose pineapple OR watermelon.

Blend Fruit

Place the chopped fruit in a blender and blend on high until completely smooth, about 30–45 seconds.

Strain Juice

Strain the blended fruit through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl to remove pulp and fibers. Press with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. You should end up with about 1.25–1.5 cups juice. Discard remaining solids or reserve for another use.

Measure Juice

Measure 1.5 cups of the strained juice for the recipe. If juice is very sweet (especially watermelon), taste and reduce the quantity of added sweetener in later steps.

Mix & Balance

Combine Juice and Water

In a large mixing pitcher, combine the 1.5 cups fresh fruit juice with 1/2 cup cold water to lighten the concentrate.

Add Citrus and Sweetener

Add 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and 1 teaspoon honey or agave. Stir or whisk until the sweetener is fully dissolved.

Add Salt

Add a 1/4 teaspoon pinch of fine sea salt to round out flavor and stir to combine.

Taste and Adjust

Taste and adjust: if the drink is too tart, add an additional 1/2–1 teaspoon sweetener; if too sweet, add up to 2 tablespoons more water or 1/2 tablespoon lime juice for brightness.

Herbs & Chill

Bruise Herbs

Lightly bruise the mint leaves (and basil if using) by clapping between your palms or gently muddling in the bottom of a glass/pitcher — this releases aroma without bitter over-extraction.

Infuse Herbs

Add the bruised herbs to the pitcher with the juice mixture and stir gently. Let steep for 5 minutes to infuse. For a stronger herbal note, steep up to 15 minutes, then strain out leaves to avoid bitterness.

Add Crushed Ice

Stir in 1 cup crushed ice to quickly chill and slightly dilute the drink to a pleasant temperature and mouthfeel.

Serve

Prepare Glasses and Pour

Fill two serving glasses with 2 ice cubes each. Pour the chilled juice evenly between the glasses.

Garnish

Garnish each glass with a mint sprig and either a pineapple wedge (for the pineapple version) or a small watermelon wedge (for the watermelon version).

Storage

Serve immediately. Leftover juice can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 48 hours — shake or stir before serving.

Nutrls (pineapple Or Watermelon) Recipe