5 Ingredients or Fewer

Watermelon Sorbet [Using a food processor, no ice cream maker required]

July  5, 2012
4.5
4 Ratings
  • Makes 6 cups? I didn't measure
Author Notes

I wanted something really refreshing and not too sweet to serve for the Fourth of July (along with David Lebovitz' delicious chocolate sorbet and some other homemade ice creams). So the weekend before I researched watermelon sorbets and couldn't find anything that sounded right, so I wung it. This would make a great frozen margarita. —Sadassa_Ulna

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Watermelon Sorbet Mixture
  • 1 small to medium round watermelon (or enough watermelon to make 4 cups juice)
  • 1/2 cup simple syrup, see below
  • 1 lemon (or limes) enough for 3 Tablespoons
  • 1 egg white (or equivalent amount pasteurized)
  • Simple Syrup
  • 1-1/4 cup sugar
  • 1-1/4 water
  • Mix in saucepan, bring to boil, stir to dissolve, remove from heat and allow to cool; makes 1-1/2 cups.
Directions
  1. Collect 4 cups of watermelon juice , this is how I did it: Place large colander in a large bowl. Cut melon in half and leave on table cut sides up. Use a big spoon to scoop out melon chunks and place in colander; do this to both halves. Use a knife and slash through the chunks in the colander and/or press gently with back of giant spoon. The bowl will probably have at least a cup of juice in it already!
  2. Now take those chunks from the colander and pulse in a food processor until nearly pureed; you probably have to do this in batches. Pour the puree through a sieve and add to the juice the large bowl. Measure out 4 cups juice, reserve the remainder for other use, like sipping, yum.
  3. Add simple syrup and lemon/lime juice.
  4. In a small bowl whisk the egg white with about a half cup of the juice mixture until frothy; add back to the juice mixture.
  5. Set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture and store in refrigerator. Pour remaining mixture into large flat pan - like a 9x13 pyrex baking pan - and place in freezer. When frozen solid take out and let it sit 5 or 10 minutes at room temperature, then start gouging with a spoon. The following might need to be done in batches.
  6. Put chunks in food processor or blender. Take out that reserved 3/4 cup from the fridge and pour small quantity over chunks. Pulse a few times. If the mix is too solid let it sit a little while, maybe loosen up the chunks with a spoon. Add a little more liquid mix. Eventually you should be able to get the mix to start whirling.
  7. HINT: [If doubling or tripling this recipe, place a large metal or ceramic (i.e. temperature conductive material, not plastic) bowl in the freezer before beginning the "gouging step." When the processing begins, you can dump the batches into the pre-chilled bowl so the mix doesn't melt.
  8. Immediately our pureed mixture into a container with lid and allow to firm up in the freezer for about an hour or so.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Sadassa_Ulna

Recipe by: Sadassa_Ulna

Growing up I was the world's pickiest eater, that is, until my children were born. Karma. Neither of my parents were much into cooking; it was the height of eating fat-free or anything with oat bran added. I taught myself some basics, mostly baking, following the guidelines of a well-worn copy of Joy of Cooking. I was a ballet dancer and a teacher suggested I lose weight. As I began reading about diet and nutrition I became interested in natural foods, which led to a job at a macrobiotic natural foods market in Center City Philadelphia; this was way before Whole Foods came to the area. I learned a lot about food in general. I ate strictly vegan for a while, although I don't now, but I still like it when a recipe can taste great without butter or bacon! In short, my approach to cooking is idiosyncratic, and I don't know very much about cooking meat or proper technique. I love to bake and I am still working on expanding my palate and my repertoire. The hardest part is getting the whole family to try new things! So aside from my food status, I am an architect who likes to garden and play music. I'm married with two kids, and I hope to get a dog someday.

0 Reviews