When I was a kid, eating watermelon was a different experience than it is now. For one, we never considered making it into a sorbet, mojito-inspired or otherwise. More importantly, the refreshing summertime fruit was packed with large black seeds. As an adult, I appreciate not having to sift through the watermelon in my mouth and attempting to delicately deposit the seeds onto my plate via a spoon. As kids, however, my friends and I relished the watermelon seeds as projectiles in our seed-spitting contests. Who could spit them the farthest? The highest? The fastest, in machine gun fashion?
As we came into our pre-teen years, bedroom walls plastered with the likes of Duran Duran and Shaun Cassidy (he could Da Doo Ron Ron towards me anytime, as far as my hormonal self was concerned), we spent afternoons playing a different game. We would each gather together a palmful of seeds dried in the sun and carefully stick them to our foreheads, with the help of a dollop of saliva. We then labeled each seed with our favorite boy names, predictably choosing the heartthrobs from our bedroom wall Tiger Beat galleries. Slowly the seeds would dry up and, one by one, they would fall from our foreheads. The last one standing – or sticking, I should say – would be our future husband. Highly scientific and reliable.
These days, I am content to eat watermelon wedges, the sweet juice dripping down my chin and arms. Last summer I took things one step further and pureed the fruit, along with fresh mint, lime juice and rum, into a Watermelon Mojito. Just as easily, this concoction can be thrown into an ice cream maker and made into a sorbet, with or without the rum, depending on the recipients. If you leave the sorbet in the freezer for several hours, it will indeed turn rock solid. Just leave it out on the counter to soften.
The recipe:
Place watermelon pieces, sugar and lime juice in a blender.
Puree until the mixture is smooth. Add the mint and rum (optional), and puree until the mint is reduced to large flecks. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Pour watermelon puree into ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 3 to 4 hours. Serve.
Watermelon & Mint Mojito Sorbet
4 lb. piece watermelon, rind removed and cubed
2 tbsp granulated sugar (or more/less depending on sweetness of fruit)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (packed) thinly sliced fresh mint
2 tbsp white rum (optional)
Place watermelon pieces, sugar and lime juice in a blender. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Add the mint and rum, and puree until the mint is reduced to large flecks. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Pour watermelon puree into ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 3 to 4 hours. Serve.
Makes about 3 cups.
Mojito recipe
This mojito recipe is fantastic!
Michael Paul W
Sorry — it froze hard, not smooth like a sorbet ought to feel.
Michael Paul W
Wonder if the mandatory rum might lower the freezing point, maintaining the texture? Wouldn’t the sorbet freeze up solid after 3 hours without the rum? I’ve had that issue with a lemon sorbet that had vodka and limoncello in the recipe. When I left out the liquor so the kids could join in, the sorbet fr
Tracey
This looks like the perfect, refreshing treat for the weather we’ve been having here!
Darla @ Bakingdom
Yum. What else is there to say, but yum?? 🙂
Shaina
Fabulous. We made watermelon sorbet the other day, but I’m so wishing it was spiked like a mojito now.
Cookie and Kate
Woah there. Your sorbet sounds incredible. It incorporates rum and manages to use very little sugar? It’s, like, the sorbet of my dreams.
Tracy
This looks so incredibly refreshing! It’s super hot today; I wish I had a big bowl of this to cool me off!
Meghna
I came across your blog via TasteSpotting and Watermelon Mojito Sorbet sounds like a perfect for summer heat. …. Great clicks!!! This one is definitely a keeper…. I am hosting a Healthy Cooking Challenge featuring Healthy desserts… I would love for you to send in this for the event. This is a perfect guilt free dessert!!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen
Loved your watermelon stories and the sorbet sounds great rum or not!
Lea Ann
I take exception to that..those watermelons with those annoying seeds that you describe and had to spit, tasted better than the seedless ones we buy now. And bring along with them so many Summer evening family gathering memories..yard included. No plates required. Don’t get me wrong, I love using the seedlesss in salad recipes.
Gloria
Thanks for stopping by. I love this sob
rbet recipe look amazing and delicious! Love it! gloria
Winnie
Looks easy and fantastic Dara!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.
Wow this is fabulous! We both have sorbet on the brain this week!
Elizabeth
Ahhh, seed spitting. It’s so hard to enjoy watermelon in the city! Your sorbet looks so delicious. I have two more weeks of pregnancy and am definitely adding this to my list of things to do when I’m no longer with child.
Heidi @ Food Doodles
Mmm, looks delicious! I’ve made watermelon “smoothies” before but never frozen it like this. Yummy!