Vegetarian Recipe: Watermelon Ice Cream

Every week on the Good Food Blog we celebrate Meatless Monday by sharing a vegetarian recipe from our archives.

Joyce White is the author of Brown Sugar: Soul Food Desserts from Family and Friends. She first shared this recipe for Watermelon Ice Cream on June 28, 2003.

Watermelon Ice Cream

Makes about 3 quarts

• 1/2 of a whole real ripe watermelon, 5 to 6 lbs

• 2 cups granulated sugar, less if the watermelon is sugar sweet

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup black currant-flavored liqueur, such as Creme de Cassis, or sweet Ruby Port or Sherry

• 2 tsps vanilla extract

• 3 cups heavy cream, well chilled

Cut the watermelon flesh into small pieces. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Measure 6 cups of the watermelon, making sure that the cups are firmly packed with the fruit, and place in a large mixing bowl. (After you finish this recipe, cool out and eat the leftover watermelon; it is good for you.)

Place 3 cups of watermelon in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pour the pureed watermelon into a large stainless heavy saucepan. Stir in the sugar and mix well.

Set the pan on medium heat and cook the mixture, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the syrup begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low, and continue cooking the syrup 10 to 12 minutes, until it deepens in color and is slightly thickened. Don’t let the syrup boil.

Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the liqueur or wine and vanilla extract. Pour the hot syrup over the remaining watermelon in the bowl and mix well.

Cool the watermelon mixture completely. Stir in the heavy cream. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil, set in the refrigerator and chill 2 to 3 hours.

Pour the watermelon-cream mixture into a blender or food processor and puree or pulse until very smooth. Do this in batches and pour the pureed mixture through a sieve or strainer into a chilled ice cream canister.

Stir the melon-cream mixture again, using a long spoon. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.