Today was an exceptionally windy day and for some reason that reminds me more of summer than anything else. Memories of sitting on the beach, watching the waves of the Adriatic sea crash onto the shore at the end of a very hot day. During those windy, late afternoons I love to sit in the shade and eat ice cold watermelon. It is so refreshing and sweet at the same time. While I can not teleport myself two thousand miles and jump from England to the Mediterranean I can enjoy this fruit in the form of a delicious mint and watermelon sorbet.
The humble watermelon is undoubtedly one of the most fun fruits to eat. I tend to just half it and eat it with a spoon. Just like that. No fussing around, not needless presenting, just eat it out of the fruit itself. Apart from tasting great there are many reasons why watermelon is an excellent choice when it comes to snacking. They have an incredibly high water-content of around 92 % which makes them a low calorie treat but that doesn’t mean they come without nutrients. Far from that. The humble watermelon comes with a good amount of Vitamin A and C. But there is much more to it.
Watermelon contains citrulline. Chances are you never heard of it, and neither did I until last week. Citrulline has been researched as a potential functional drink for sore muscle relief in athletes. It helps to reduce the recovery heart rate and muscle soreness so technically you are snacking on a tasty post workout sorbet.
Lycopene is just another reason why watermelons should be a regular snack when they are in season. It is one of the most powerful antioxidants. Research at Harvard University showed that subjects who consumed a fair amount of lycopene had shown a resistance against various lines of cancer. But enough clinical facts; Let’s cut to the chase.
This mint and watermelon sorbet is a delicious treat and ever so easy to make. The hardest part about making this dessert is not eating too much of the watermelon while chopping it up. If you do so then at least you can take comfort in the fact that you are only doing your body good, right?
- 1,5 kg (3lb) watermelon, cleaned
- 5 mint leaves
- ½ lime, juice of
- 3 tbsp agave
- Remove the rind of your watermelon and chop it up roughly. Add it with the mint leaves and lime juice to a blender. Blend until it is evenly combined. If your blender is not big enough, then do this in stages.
- Strain the juice through a mesh sieve and discard the solids.
- Pour the juice and agave syrup into an ice cream machine and process it.
- Transfer into a freezer friendly dish and freeze for another 1-3 hours before serving if you want a scoopable sorbet.
If you don't have an ice cream machine then you can also pour the fruit juice into a freezer friendly dish and place it as it is in the freezer. Set a timer and give it a good stir every 30 minutes until it is frozen.
I made this with a big shot of white rum and it went down a treat at my housewarming party.
It looks very fresh and refreshing! I’ll definitely try this sorbet out!