I was debating whether to post this recipe because it literally has just 2 ingredients, but then I reasoned that it’s not the number of ingredients that makes a recipe great, it’s about the end product. And these watermelon popsicles are perfect to snack on during incredibly hot summer days.
Watermelon is amazing as is, but there are a lot of fun recipes you can whip up with a little creativity. I think the fruit is super versatile because it’s full of water and not as fibrous as other fruit, so you can blend it into different dishes or it can help you add body to salads.
How to cook with watermelon?
Watermelon is a versatile fruit. Recipes range from fresh salads to cocktails to savory dishes. For example, I think watermelon stands up well to grilling, and the added smokey effect gives the watermelon a depth of flavor that pairs with sweet and savory dishes. For the summer season, I’m going to release a series of watermelon recipes to help you get the most out of the sweet and juicy fruit, and you don’t even have to turn on your stove to make them.
Can you eat every part of the watermelon?
Most people don’t know that you can eat every part of the watermelon, from the sweet pink flesh to the white rind to the green skin. It’s related to the cucumber, which can also be entirely consumed. The rind is a bit tougher to eat than the watermelon flesh and I like to boil or cook it before I pickle the rinds. I think consuming the skin really depends on your digestion strength. If you’re not able to eat raw broccoli or raw brussel sprouts, then I suggest not consuming the watermelon skin because it might make you feel uncomfortable. It’s highly fibrous and difficult to cut from the rind, so if you don’t want to deal with that, you can compost the skin.
What is Tajin?
Tajín is a tangy, salty, and slightly spicy seasoning that derives its unique taste from Mexican flavors. It’s a bright seasoning that features citrus and mild chile flavors. It can be used for sweet and savory dishes. I like to sprinkle it over fresh fruits and veggies when I’m munching on snacks. Tanji, which is also the name of the company that produces this spice mix, manufactures a variety of spice products. For this recipe, I like to use the low-sodium seasoning mixture just to control the flavor a bit better.
Recipe: 2-ingredient watermelon popsicles
- Yield: 8 popsicles
- Active cooking time: 25 minutes
- Inactive cooking time: 3 to 4 hours (depending on your freezer)
- Total cook time: 3 hours and 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cups of roughly chopped watermelon
- 1 teaspoon of Tajin
Instructions
- Cut up your watermelon and secure several cups. We can save the rinds to make pickles later and watermelon skin to add more fiber to your smoothies. I like to freeze the watermelon trimmings and use them at a later date.
- Once you have your watermelon chopped up, pour it into a blender, and blend until smooth. Don’t add any other liquid!
- The fully blended mixture should be light and frothy. I suggest letting this mixture sit in a refrigerator for 15 minutes so that everything settles before you start making your popsicles.
- After the mixture has rested, stir it up.
- If you want a strong Tajin flavor, you can sprinkle a little bit of the spice mixture into the molds before you pour the watermelon mixture into the molds. Also, for popsicle molds any size will work. I like to make small batches when it comes to desserts, so this measurement actually yielded more than 8 popsicles for me. But if you use a standard mold, then this mixture should work for you.
- Once you have portioned out your popsicle mixture, sprinkle over more Tajin.
- Freeze the popsicles for at least 3 hours. Depending on your freezer you might want to freeze longer. You want to make sure the popsicles should be frozen solid.
- You can enjoy them as soon as they are frozen. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months, but I guarantee they won’t last that long.
Let me know if you make this recipe and whether you enjoyed it. And if there’s a watermelon recipe you want me to try, let me know in the comments.