Watermelon Mint Sorbet



Things are heating up here on the East Coast, and the humidity doesn't help. So this week for shabbos, I decided to try my hand at a simple sorbet.

I went for watermelon because I'm seeing them everywhere and they're just sooooo tempting when you feel sticky and icky after being outside for only 10 minutes.

And as I had also bought a bunch of mint leaves so I could make some Limonana, I figured why not add a little mint.

The result is this beautifully pink, deliciously refreshing, and wonderfully icy treat.

Make it. Love it.



Watermelon Mint Sorbet (Note: This recipe is based off of Paula Dean's recipe for Raspberry Sorbet.)

Ingredients
  • 1 seedless watermelon, cut into chunks, without rind
  • 2 Cups sugar (note: I actually halved the sugar and water in this recipe and made only 1 Cup of simple syrup, adding a about 1/2 cup of Splenda to the sorbet while it mixed in the ice-cream maker. You can try the original 2 cups, but remember that it was for raspberries that tend to be a little tart and may come out too sweet with watermelon.)
  • 2 Cups water
  • 1/4 Cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 Cup light corn syrup
  • A bunch mint leaves. I know, it's a very exact measurement, but I guess you could eyeball it.

Instructions
  1. Bring the sugar and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, add in the mint leaves, and allow the mixture to simmer, without stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
  2. In a blender, puree the watermelon and lemon juice. Do not attempt this in a food processor like I did. Food processors are apparently not waterproof.
  3. Once the simple syrup is completely cooled, strain out the mint leaves, and mix the syrup with the watermelon puree and the corn syrup. I would even put this mixture into the fridge for an hour to ensure it's as cold as possible before you put it in the ice cream maker.
  4. Pour the mixture into your ice-cream maker, and freeze according to your ice-cream maker's directions.
  5. Store in a tightly sealed container in the freezer and bring out about 10-15 minutes before serving to let it soften.


(Note: I just want to call attention to what I think is some real progress in my photography skills! For these shots, I placed the sorbet in the mug, added the mint leaves as garnish, and put the mug by the window to catch the natural light. I eventually ended up putting the cup on an old, broken Dell laptop because I thought the reflective surface make the picture look even brighter and airier. Thoughts? Criticism? Please share. I want to learn!)

Comments

Rel said…
I thought the photos were stock photos. more than professional! I'm pretty blown away.

Food looks yummy too.
June 24, 2012 at 3:25 PM
Lady Pieface said…
I really really liked the reflection of the cup on the back of the spoon. I thought that was a nice touch.
July 6, 2012 at 6:57 PM
Meghan said…
I thought the photos were great. They made the sorbet look delicious (and the recipe made it sound delicious!)
July 8, 2012 at 11:33 PM
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