It is H O T. The kind of hot that makes you drip sweat even when you are standing still. The kind of 'hot' that turns the metal part of your seat belt into a weapon with a risk of burn. So hot, that even at 9:30 pm, doing the polka makes you look like you just went swimming. Not that it has ever happened to me or anything . . . 

Summer is a big bowl of cold watermelon on a hot day. I look forward to watermelon season all year long!! These days I am averaging at least one watermelon a week. Reading and frozen desserts, much like watermelon, are also major requirements of summer. I was lucky enough to find a brand spankin' new copy of The Big Gay Ice Cream book at McKay's Used Bookstore last week. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I AM OBSESSED. It is laid out like a yearbook, with recipes happening Senior year. Their sorbet recipes inspired me to make watermelon sorbet. 

Facts About Watermelon:

• Explorers around the world used watermelons as canteens. Y U M.

• If seed-spitting contests aren't important to you, I have good news. Seedless watermelons contain more lycopene than watermelon with seeds. Lycopene is the red pigment found in tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit. It is an antioxidant that can protect cells from damage and may play a role in preventing or blocking cancer cells, though more research isolating lycopene specifically (ie. lycopene supplements vs. tomatoes) is needed.

• Watermelons are one of a few fruits that increase in antioxidants after being harvested. Keep your watermelon on the counter for a few days before cutting it to increase the levels of lycopene inside.

• To pick the perfect watermelon, look for a large yellowish greenish spot. This indicates that the fruit had enough time on the ground, and therefore still on the vine, to grow into all of their magnificent glory!

Most sorbet recipes will call for 1 to 2 cups of sugar. I only used a 1/2 cup of sugar because the watermelon was already sweet enough. Since the watermelon is the main part of the show here, make sure yours is dark pink/red and very sweet! If your watermelon is lacking sweetness, you could add more lime or lemon juice, or increase the amount of sugar in the simple syrup from 1/2 cup to 1 cup. 

Make this for a healthy summer treat that will cool you off during the heat of the summer! It could be eaten as a post workout hydrator or served as a dessert! Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or posting a photo on Instagram, tagging me @corrielanderson, and use #itsallofit so I can see your lovely creation! 

WATERMELON SORBET

Recipe Author: Corrie Anderson      +      Serves: 4-6  

INGREDIENTS

• 4-5 cups of watermelon cubes

• juice of 1 lime or lemon

• 3 cups water

• ½ cup sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the simple syrup, add the water and sugar to a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Then remove from the heat and let the syrup cool.

2. Add watermelon cubes, juice of 1 lime, and simple syrup to a blender. Blend for about a minute or until all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Pour mixture into a container and chill for 3-4 hours.

3. If you have an ice cream maker, pour watermelon mixture into bowl and mix for about 20 – 30 minutes or until the mixture starts to turn into a solid. OR follow the instructions that come with your machine. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, put mixture into the freezer and freeze for 2 – 3 hours, stirring with a fork every 20-30 minutes. For ultimate smoothness, you could run it through a blender or food processor.