Wood Apple Squash | Bel Juice

This wood apple squash is a unique summer drink made with bel, aka wood apple. This is a refreshing drink, perfect to beat the heat of the summer.

Wood apple squash or bel sharbat is one of the best cooling drinks for the summer season.

Wood Apple Squash | Bel Sharbat | Bel Juice

Summer is synonymous with high temperatures, sunny days, humidity, and hot weather, all leading to dehydration. For that reason, it's essential to stay well hydrated. Drink a good amount of water and cool drinks, which will cool your body from within.

Curd and buttermilk are best for this season as they have cooling properties and help beat the heat. Several seasonal fruits help keep us hydrated. Some are watermelon, musk melon or cantaloupe, mangoes, litchis, ice apple, and wood apple.

Read more summer drink recipes here on the blog.

Wood apple, commonly known as bel, is a summer fruit. This is hard from the out and soft, juicy, fibrous pulp inside. This pulp is used to make sharbat or squash (Bel Sharbat).

Benefits of Bel Sharbat or Wood Apple Squash

Bel is a power-packed fruit with lots of health benefits. This fruit has high fiber, beta-carotene, riboflavin, and vitamin C.

Because of high fiber, this is good for constipation patients. This keeps our gut healthy as well.

This is diabetic-friendly. There is no need to add a spoonful of sugar if you are diabetic. The natural sweetness is enough. It is also healthy.

High fiber and natural sweetness are beneficial for weight loss as well. It helps to get rid of bloating and water retention.

Vitamin C boosts immunity and prevents cough, cold, and flu. It also keeps energy levels high.

The vitamins and minerals in bel or wood apples increase the metabolic rate, thus increasing the probability of weight loss.

How to Make Bel Sharbat/ Wood Apple Squash?

Break the fruit into halves. With the help of a spoon, squeeze out the pulp and keep it in a bowl. Add 1 cup water and mix with the pulp. Squeeze the pulp and mix it with water.

Remove the fibrous part and the seeds from the mixture. Strain the diluted pulp into another bowl using a large strainer. Squeeze out all the pulp by gradually adding water to the sieve while straining it into a separate bowl.

Add sugar and stir well. Instead of sugar, you can use sugar syrup directly. Dilute by adding extra water. Add black pepper powder and lemon juice.

Store in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 hours and serve chilled with ice cubes.

Recipe Card for Bel Sharbat

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