Nothing says “summer” quite like a cool, refreshing slice of watermelon. Just one bite of this delectably divine fruit suddenly invokes rich scenes of the season: A sprinkler in the middle of a lush green yard on a hot July afternoon, lazily watching fireworks as the cool evening breeze tickles your toes, and forgoing all your worries as you sink your teeth into something sweet, simple, and impossibly delicious.
I absolutely love watermelon and try to indulge in this temporary treat for as long as I can before it’s gone for the season. And while I don’t typically enjoy watermelon flavored items – they simply don’t do the real thing justice – I’m willing to experiment with pretty much any watermelon-forward recipe that comes my way. Indeed, I’ve made everything from “watermelon pizzas” with fresh mint, feta, and balsamic glaze to “watermelon salads” with basil, (again) feta, and cucumber, and there’s truly no other food that simultaneously quenches your thirst, enchants your tastebuds, and stirs up fond, nostalgic memories in quite the same way.
That’s why when I stumbled upon a recipe for watermelon slushies, I knew I had to give it a go. While I had never previously made slushies, the ingredient list was relatively brief and the recipe instructions seemed pretty straightforward, so I decided to throw my inhibitions to the wind and give it a shot.
I began by cutting up one regular-sized watermelon – yep, that’s right, the whole enchilada – into two-inch cubes, making sure to remove any rind as I worked. This left with me with about four pounds of pure red sugary goodness, enough to quench some serious thirst.
Setting the melon aside, I transitioned to make my simple syrup by combining two tablespoons of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of water, and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a small saucepan. I brought the mixture to a boil, let it do its thing for a minute or so, and then reduced the heat to a simmer to allow time for the sugar to completely dissolve.
Letting my simple syrup cool, I pivoted to prep the other key flavor in the slushy: Lime. I sure do love me some citrus, and my mouth watered as I shaved and squeezed four limes, releasing their tart, tangy perfume into the air. I combined the zest and juice with the simple syrup and gave it a good mix, doing everything in my power to stop myself from salivating as I worked.
Now I was ready for the main attraction: Ladies and gentlemen, start your blenders! Working in two batches, I added half of the lime mixture with half of the freshly cut watermelon and pureed the ingredients until the melon was smooth. Deciding to throw in a wildcard and make my slushies “boozy” at the last minute, I added a few shots of vodka to pack a refreshing, unexpected punch[1]. I poured the mixture into a metal Nordic Ware pan and then repeated this step with the remaining ingredients. Filling my rectangular pan to the brim, I carefully secured the lid and popped my concoction into the freezer to chill for eight hours.
After waiting for what felt like forever, it was finally time to sample my slushies. I pulled my pan from the freezer and used a large spoon to scrape the surface of the ice to create large, crystal-like flakes. Then I transferred the contents to some funky cactus glasses[2] and topped them off with glitzy metallic straws and colorful paper umbrellas[3]. And voila! My watermelon-lime slushies were open and ready for business! Cam and I relocated to the patio, toasted to this fun, fresh, experiment, and sipped our way to pure summer bliss.
The combination of watermelon and lime was all sorts of perfect, and the vodka was a killer last-minute addition[4]. While watermelon has always been a beloved favorite, I was pleasantly surprised to sample the magic that came from getting creative and testing something new: Simply refreshing in so many ways.
So grab your ingredients, fire up your blender, and whip up your own watermelon-lime slushies over the holiday weekend! For best results, I recommend serving from a lazy low-slung, Adirondack chair that is veritably impossible to get up from.
Cheers!
[1] Because why the heck not?!
[2] After all, doesn’t everyone need some fun, summery drinkware?!
[3] Again, because why the heck not?!
[4] I regret nothing.
