Watermelon Mint Popsicles

A couple weeks ago, I was supposed to help throw a surprise baby shower for a friend who is expecting a little boy at the end of July.  We were planning a brunch party & I was responsible for creating a fruit salad.

I had grand ideas of carving a watermelon like a baby carriage to hold the fruit salad & creating a beautiful scene.  I even practiced once with great success.

The day before the shower, I was just getting ready to begin cutting fruit when I got the call that the shower was canceled.  The mom-to-be was experiencing contractions & was in the hospital!

 Thankfully, the doctors were able to stop her early labor, but she did  end up staying in the hospital during the time when we had planned the shower.

So, I found myself with decent sized seedless watermelon, no longer destined to become a baby carriage fruit salad vessel.  There are many ways I like to use watermelon, aside from just eating it raw.  I love Helene’s Quinoa salad with watermelon, feta, & mint.   I love a good chilled minted melon soup we use serve at Dakota Harvest Bakers when I worked there.  I’ve even had a watermelon pie!

As I was mulling what to make with this unexpected wealth of watermelon, I remembered my recently purchased, yet unused popsicle mold.  By freezing some of the watermelon into popsicles, I could prolong the shelf-life of the watermelon & allow us to enjoy the melon in the future too.

Making these popsicles couldn’t be simpler.  Cubes of juicy ripe watermelon are combined with a little sugar, and mint (which is my favorite watermelon accent flavor) in a blender & then pureed until liquid.  The mixture is poured into the molds & frozen. Voila! Popsicles!

In the summer's heat (which we've been especially experiencing lately in Texas), there isn't anything more refreshing :)

Watermelon Mint Popsicles
yields approximately 10 popsicles, depending on your mold size

4 c (approximately 1 lb 10.7 oz) chopped seedless watermelon 
2 Tbl sugar (or other sweetener), adjust amount based on the sweetness of your melon
1 Tbl mint leaves (that took around 14 leaves, for me)

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender.  Blitz until liquified.  Taste & adjust sweetness as needed--remember, the sweetness will lessen during the freezing process.  
2. Stir the mixture & skim off any foam. 
3. Pour into molds, leaving space at the top for the mixture to expand as it freezes.   
4. Freeze for 90 minutes. 
5. Insert the sticks.  
6. Freeze overnight.  
7. Unmold by dipping the bottom of the mold into a large bowl of warm (not hot) water.  Serve immediately.  
8. Store leftovers, individually wrapped or kept in an airtight container, in the freezer for up to one month.