Watermelon Mojito Sorbet Recipe

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 tablespoon granulated sugar (or more/less depending on sweetness of fruit)
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (packed) thinly sliced fresh mint
2 tablespoon 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.

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