Watermelon Lime Mint Sorbet

Before seedless watermelons were as popular as they are now, kids used to stand in the backyard behind an imaginary line spitting watermelon seeds as far as they could. I was never a seed-spitting contest winner, but I enjoyed the summer ritual nonetheless. Sometimes I wonder if kids still have these little competitions, or if it will forever be just a fond memory.

Watermelon has always been a summer fruit that carries feelings of nostalgia. There’s always a wedge of bright red watermelon in the smiling face of a child during the humid months of late summer, and there’s always leftovers being bundled in plastic wrap and shoved in the fridge next to leftover potato salad from the last picnic.

But what about us? What about the adults? Sure, we all love a juicy watermelon wedge from time to time, but many of us would rather enjoy the ripe summer fruit in a way that didn’t stain our favorite tank tops with pink drippings.

I love making watermelon sorbet because it celebrates seasonal ingredients in an unexpected way. Most people have tried berry or mango versions, so using watermelon gives sorbet an updated twist. It’s perfect for an afternoon snack, a cool after-lunch treat or a refreshing after-dinner dessert for a party.

In the recipe below, we added mint and lime to the watermelon to give it a vibrant and refreshing punch. We also tried substituting other herbs (like rosemary, thyme and basil) and other citrus juices (like lemon and orange) to create interesting layers of flavor. Everyone had a different favorite, but the rosemary-mint-lemon combination was very popular.