I find something oddly therapeutic about cutting fruit.  I think it started when I came back from college the first time and was beyond excited by the prospect of having fruit other than apples and oranges from the dining hall.  So when I went with my dad to the grocery store, we got just about every fruit you can get and I cut it all up and put it in tupperware in the fridge.

Then, later on, I was put in charge of the fruit salad for our Fourth of July party.  I got to pick all the fruit to go in, cut it up into neat little cubes (or spheres for the melon – I still want my own melon baller) and layer it by color in a big glass bowl.

So this weekend, when I decided I wanted to make watermelon sorbet (mostly to use my ice cream maker again), I may have bought a little more watermelon than I needed.  Like a full half of a watermelon.

Fortunately I love watermelon, but realistically you don’t need to buy quite this much to make the recipe.  A quarter will do just fine.  Otherwise you might end up with a little left over.

I’m actually eating the smaller bowl for lunch right now while I type this.

Anyways, let’s get started.  Squeeze about a lemon and a half to get 1/4 cup of juice.

Heat the lemon juice, water, and sugar over medium heat in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.  The mixture should turn from opaque to clear.

Pour the sugar mixture into an airtight container and chill completely.  I left mine in the fridge overnight.  While you’re chilling things, don’t forget to put the freezer bowl for your ice cream maker in the freezer!

The next morning (or however you’re timing things), cut up your watermelon and remove the seeds.  Blend 3 cups in a blender until smooth.

Pour it into a bowl with a spout and stir in the chilled sugar mixture.  You can return it to the fridge if you don’t trust it to be quite chilled enough yet.

When you’re ready to turn it into sorbet, put the freezer bowl attachment on your stand mixer and turn the setting to stir.  Pour in the mixture and allow the mixer to run for about 25 minutes, or until of desired consistency.

Forgive my action shots of the stand mixer, I still love it.  Spoon the sorbet into an airtight container and store in the freezer for 4 to 6 hours before serving.

When it’s done, it looks (and tastes!) like sorbet!  It is definitely not as sweet as the sorbet I remember getting at an ice cream shop in town, probably due to the lemon juice, but the flavor is a little more complex, which I liked.

And, of course, adding jimmies never does any harm.

Enjoy!

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 cups chopped watermelon, seeds removed

Directions:

1. Cook lemon juice, sugar, and water over medium heat in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved and liquid is transparent.
2. Chill completely overnight.
3. Blend watermelon until smooth.
4. Combine watermelon and sugar mixture in a bowl with a spout.  Chill again if necessary.
5.  Set up ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.  Pour mixture into bowl while set to stir and allow to run 25 minutes or until desired consistency.
6. Freeze in an airtight container for an additional 4-6 hours before serving.