For the 4th of July I bought a small seedless watermelon for our family gathering. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. I put it in the refrigerator in the basement and quickly forgot it was there. I seem to do this more than I care to admit. Several days later I recalled my purchase and had to come up with something to do with a whole watermelon for two people. Of course, you can make a salad with feta cheese or a salsa, but I wanted something different that really highlighted the freshness of the watermelon. Watermelon sorbet was the answer. I think you will really enjoy the fresh flavor of the watermelon, mint and lime.

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
6 cups of watermelon cubes
juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tbsp)
1 tsp lime zest
1 mint sprig

Directions

Make a simple syrup with the water and sugar. Boil the water in the microwave (approximately 3 minutes) in a glass measuring cup and then stir in the sugar until it is dissolved. Add the mint sprig to the simple syrup. Set aside to cool completely. (Photo B)

Place the watermelon cubes in a blender or food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture through a sieve to remove any of the seeds and solids. (Photo C) This should produce approximately 3 cups of juice. Process more watermelon cubes if you need more juice.

Remove the mint sprig from the simple syrup. Blend together the simple syrup, watermelon juice, lime zest and juice. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturers instructions. (Photo D) I used a Cuisinart and it took approximately 25 minutes. Place the sorbet in a container (Photo E) and place in the freezer until firm, about 2 hours. You could also place the mixture in a 9 x 12 pan and freeze. I prefer the consistency of the mixture in the Cuisinart.

Try this out and let me know what you think. Enjoy!