Despite the stormy weather lately, you can’t hide the fact that melon season is poking through! Little cantaloupes, golden melons, and watermelons were spotted at farm
tables like Shagbark and Zach’s farm this past market, with surely more to come! Sweet, hydrating, and refreshing– this week, I wanted to give you a few recipe ideas for the American summer favorite (that tastes even better when you buy it locally!). That being said, I wanted to spare you the obvious fruit salad recipe, which can be exciting when you use unique fruit mixes or other repurposed ingredients, but also sometimes a little overplayed. Here are 3 watermelon uses you can try to discover with all of that irresistible fruit, so have fun!
Watermelon and Strawberry Popsicles
Ingredients:
- 3 heaping cups cubed watermelon
- 1 heaping cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- zest and juice of 1 lime
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until completely smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze 3-4 hours, or until very solid.
(source: https://www.onelovelylife.com/strawberry-watermelon-popsicles/)
Watermelon Rind Candy
Ingredients:
- 4 cups watermelon rind, white part only, cut into strips as for French fries (do not use very small melons for this recipe, as their rinds are too thin)
- 1 quart water, PLUS
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2 cups sugar, plus more for coating
- 1 lemon, peeled
Directions:
Cover the rind with hot water and boil 5 minutes. Drain.
When cool, cover with a brine of 1 quart of water and 1/4 cup of salt. Set aside for at least 6 hours.
Drain and rinse several times, and then cover the rind with fresh water and simmer until the rind is tender. Drain.In a saucepan, place 2 cups sugar, the remaining 1 1/4 cups of water, and the lemon peel. Cook until a drop forms a soft ball in cold water.
Add the rind. Simmer, stirring and lifting the rind from the bottom of the pan to prevent it from scorching.
Cook until the rind is clear and the syrup forms a long thread. remove the rind and drain. Discard the lemon peel if desired.
Drop each piece of rind in sugar for coating, and shake off the excess. Lay the rinds separately on a rack to cool and dry.
(source: https://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/819/Watermelon-Rind-Candy108617.shtml)
Watermelon Juice
Ingredients:
- 2 cups watermelon (chopped)
- ¼ lime (squeeze, save Juice)
- 1 Tbsp simple syrup
- 1 slice lime (for garnish, optional)
- Mint leaves (for garnish optional)
Directions:
Cut the watermelon into chunks removing the rind and seeds. Place the chunks into a bowl and let them cool in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
In blender, combine watermelon, lime juice and simple syrup and puree.
Pour into the glass and garnish with a slice of lime and mint leaves (optional). Chill before serving if you like.
Recipe Notes
Simple syrup: You can replace simple syrup with regular sugar if you want to save the time.
If you prefer to remove pulp, strain through a fine sieve. You will also need to double the portions for each ingredient per glass.
(source: https://www.justonecookbook.com/watermelon-juice/)