It's going to be a hot one this weekend: time to make popsicles (if you're not already working on your ice cream recipes.) Although most recipes guide you toward adding sugar, I find seasonal fruit sweetly delicious enough already.
Watermelon Popsicles
makes 10-15, depending on size
6 cups cubed watermelon, seeds and rind removed (about 4 pounds)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated lime zest
Blend watermelon in a blender, or process through a juicer, until liquefied completely. Stir in lime juice and zest. Pour mixture through a sieve into a bowl, then spoon juice into popsicle molds with sticks inserted, and freeze.
Made this over the weekend, but since I don't have popsicle molds, I froze in ice cube trays.
Also pouted some into a med. round mold, in which I let the juice freeze until almost set, ran a fork through it & served in short glases last night, which served as dessert!
With the watermelon ice cubes, aside from eating them just like that, I thought of putting them into the food processor & adding some booze then maybe, making a delicious slushy drink!
(I added a little bit of sugar syrup since my watermelon was not as sweet as some & omitted the zest as the friend does not like citrus zest!) Very good and refreshing.
I've a recipie for this from Real Simple magazine that suggests using lime sorbert as a topper rather than an an ingredient. What you do is pour in the watermellon juice until you get within a half inch of the top. Then you allow to freeze partially, and top with softened lime sorbet. Then insert the sticks. That way you it looks like a slice from a watermellon.
Your timing is perfect! My husband, a friend and I went to the 92nd Street Y talk last night with Ruth Reichl and they gave popsicle molds as gifts to everyone! Plus, they handed out popsicles at the end.
I was happy enough with the special reading supplement to the August issue of Gourmet. But a goody bag with the August Gourmet issue and popsicle molds (custom popsicle sticks too) and popsicles at the end, I was in heaven.
We've been buying some delicious yellow watermelon from Trader Joe's. You could make red and yellow striped watermelon popsicles. A healthier version of those rocket popsicles you can get from ice cream trucks. :)
This reminds me: I have to plug a store that probably no one who hangs out here will ever have a chance to go to, but if you're ever in Durham, NC, you need to go to Locopops, a literal popsicle stand (they call them paletas). Flavors you couldn't dream of, and the most refreshing thing you could have in your mouth on a sticky summer day. Here's what I assume to be the owner's blog, with a rundown of some of the flavors. http://www.singintomymouth.com/blog/archive/002544.html
When I went last week, I had the mojito and the mango with chile. Get two, they're small!
ocgrl -
I grew up in Durham and my parents and brother still live there. Admittedly, I rarely go visit in the summer (although it will be just as hot here in NY this weekend), but if I ever do I will check that place out. It sounds awesome.
Hot sticky drive home from beach. Cranky children who missed their naps. 90-plus degrees with humidity, no breeze, no air conditioning. Mom pulls watermelon popsicles out of freezer, and is declared "the coolest mom EVER" by 5 year old. Thank you Sara Kate.
Has anyone figured out how to incorporate booze into these? I know it's a problem b/c the alcohol doesn't freeze but seems to me that I read a recipe once upon a time.
Update:
Made this great drink last night -
Into a food processor:
app. 2 cups of frozen watermelon, as above
2 oz. gin (used Bombay shappire)
an extra squeeze of lime juice
1 tsp. sugar
Blend and serve.