Watermelon sorbet with mint

A light pink watermelon sorbet with mint and lime. Summer in a glass.

Watermelon is more than 90 % water, so on its own it would freeze into ice. The sugar and dextrose are dissolved straight in the watermelon juice, with no added water — the flavour stays full. The mint is steeped in a small portion of the juice and then strained out.

Type: Sorbet · Servings: 8 · Difficulty: Easy

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 750 g watermelon (flesh) (flesh without rind or seeds, from about 1.2 kg of watermelon)
  • 180 g granulated sugar (sucrose)
  • 40 g dextrose (glucose powder)
  • 30 g lime juice (fresh)
  • 10 g fresh mint (leaves) (a handful of leaves)

Making the mix

  1. Remove the seeds from the watermelon flesh and blend it. Press the purée through a sieve.
  2. Heat about 150 g of the watermelon juice with the sugar and dextrose until they dissolve. Take off the heat, add the mint leaves and leave to steep for 15 minutes.
  3. Strain the syrup (squeezing out the mint), then mix it with the rest of the juice and the lime juice.
  4. Chill the mix in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Method — Compressor ice cream maker

  1. Switch the ice cream maker on 5–10 minutes ahead so the bowl can pre-chill.
  2. Pour in the chilled mix (no higher than the fill line) and churn for 25–35 minutes until the sorbet is thick, glossy and holds its shape on a spoon.
  3. Transfer to a chilled container, cover the surface with cling film and leave to harden in the freezer for 1–2 hours.

Total time: 4 h 10 min

Method — Freezer-bowl ice cream maker

  1. Take the frozen bowl out of the freezer just before use, fit the paddle and switch the machine on.
  2. With the machine running, pour in the well-chilled mix — no more than two thirds of the bowl; freeze the rest in a second batch.
  3. Churn for 20–25 minutes until the sorbet thickens into a dense ice slush. Churning longer is pointless — the bowl has already warmed up.
  4. Transfer to a chilled container, cover the surface with cling film and leave to harden in the freezer for 3 hours.

Freeze the bowl for at least 24 hours ahead. The mix must be fridge-cold (5 °C or below) — a lukewarm mix warms the bowl before the sorbet can set.

Total time: 5 h 5 min

Method — Ninja CREAMi and similar machines

  1. Pour the chilled mix into the CREAMi tub up to the MAX line (any extra into a second tub), put the lid on and freeze level for 24 hours.
  2. Put the tub in the machine and run the Sorbet program.
  3. If the sorbet is crumbly or powdery, add 1–2 tablespoons of water or juice and run Re-spin. Serve straight away.

Programme: Sorbet

Smooth over whatever is left in the tub, put the lid on and return it to the freezer; before serving again, run the Sorbet program or Re-spin once more.

Total time: 25 h 45 min

Method — No-machine method

  1. Pour the chilled mix into a shallow metal or glass container (3–4 cm deep) and put it in the freezer.
  2. After an hour, stir the mix thoroughly with a fork or a stick blender — work the frozen edges into the centre.
  3. Repeat every 30–45 minutes, 5–6 times in total, until the sorbet is thick and smooth.
  4. Finally, you can briefly whizz it in a food processor for an even smoother result. Leave to harden for an hour.

Without a machine, larger ice crystals grow and the sorbet is coarser. Each stir breaks them up — don’t skip any.

Total time: 6 h 40 min

Stages

Preparation
20 min
Cooking
5 min
Resting
15 min
Cooling
1 h
Churning
30 min
Hardening in the freezer
2 h
Total time
4 h 10 min

Serving and storage

Serve in chilled glasses with a mint leaf. For adults, you can pour a spoonful of white rum or tequila over it.

Best within 1–2 weeks, kept in a closed container with cling film on the surface. After that the fruit flavour fades and the sorbet turns coarse. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Tips

  • Watermelon sweetness varies more than that of other fruit. Measure it with a refractometer (target 26–28 °Bx) or at least taste it, and add more sugar if needed.
  • Don’t blend the mint directly with the watermelon — the sorbet would turn brown and taste grassy.
  • Instead of mint, try basil or a pinch of salt and chilli.

Sources