Libation: Jeni's Watermelon Lemon Sorbet (Ohio)

When I think of Ohio and food I will always think of Jeni Britton Bauer and her splendid ice creams.  And truth be told, I might be in love with her.  I love Jeni because she creates the most amazing artisan ice creams that just plain make me happy.  So happy.  Really, really happy.  She’s also an incredibly successful entrepreneur with a small business that is exploding on its way to world ice cream domination (my words, not hers).  My MBA and I are envious.

Jeni’s philosophy: “We create ice creams we fall madly in love with, that we want to bathe in, that make us see million-year-old stars.”  And that is seriously what I want to do with every one of Jeni’s creations - bathe in it.  Jeni is an ice cream artist curating seasonal collections of ice creams, sorbets and frozen yogurts.  She believes in using local ingredients and creates seasonal flavors based on what’s growing locally.  

If you’re not an Ohio local you can find Jeni’s ice creams in a growing number of retailers or online.  Or now you can make your own Jeni’s ice cream in your own kitchen thanks to her new cookbook Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams At Home.  And since it’s so dang hot out I thought this weekend was a great time to test my first recipe - a refreshing summer sorbet.  So I cranked up my favorite local Columbus band The Wet Darlings and got cooking.  

Jeni recommends pairing this treat with a sparkling rose or Prosecco.  Or for a watermelon cocktail, add a few scoops of sorbet in a tall glass with a shot of Grey Goose vodka and a couple of drops of rose water.

Watermelon Lemon Sorbet

Makes about 1 quart

1 small to medium watermelon (preferably with black seeds)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

PREP

Cut enough watermelon flesh into 2-inch cubes to make about 4 cups.  Remove the seeds (reserve a few black ones to add to the sorbet if you want).  Puree the melon in a food processor.  Measure out 2 1/2 cups of puree and transfer to a medium bowl.  Reserve the rest of the watermelon for another use.  Measure out the remaining ingredients.  Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

COOK

Combine the lemon juice, sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Remove from the heat.

CHILL

Whisk the lemon syrup into the pureed watermelon.  Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath.  Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes. 

FREEZE

Pour the sorbet base into the frozen canister and spin just until it is the consistency of very softly whipped cream.  Pack the sorbet into a storage container, tossing in a few black watermelon seeds if you’ve got them.  Press a sheet of parchment paper directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid.  Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Thank you Jeni Britton Bauer for your awesome-ness.  And buy her book.... here!