WATERMELON, LIME & MINT CORDIAL: Double Duty, dairy free, low-sugar

Healthy, cooling, refreshing...delicately delicious with or without alcohol...

Watermelon, lime & mint Cordial
'lovely cooling refreshing drink'

 
Everyone loves watermelon, especially when it's ripe and sweet.  But increasingly,   there's disappointment when you get it home and - whatever its price or provenance - it's underpowered and disappointing.

No one can afford to toss it in the bin but there aren't many things you can do with under-par watermelon.

Well, here's a solution...a low-sugar cordial topped up with alcohol or fizzy water.

67goingon50 combined watermelon, lime and mint in this almost effortless cordial which can be combined with alcohol or fizzy water.  

It was inspired by a  combo of watermelon & lime stumbled on in a well-known fried chicken joint (don't ask!).

It was surprisingly nice though way too sweet.

67's version is low/no sugar and lovely in a long cool refreshing drink.

It must be made in advance.  The melon flesh is frozen and once blitzed into a slush, left overnight for flavours to deepen.

It's perfect for a small household or a crowd and it will keep well in the fridge for a couple of days.

Cost: maybe £2'ish depending on the source of the watermelon

Serves: 3-4 but multiplies easily

Ingredients

Watermelon Nectar: 

half a watermelon (you won't need all of it)

330g/11.5x oz frozen watermelon (peel removed)

3 tbsp fresh lime juice

3 good-sized leaves mint (no twigs), very finely sliced

1tsp-1tbsp maple syrup/sugar if needed

                      

Method:

Must be made in advance

1. Cut a piece of melon about 500g/16oz; slice into wedges as if for eating, ie with the peel left on; spread out on a metal tray with a big of space in between; freeze 3-4 hours; place in a plastic freezer bag (or a strong supermarket bag) and store in freezer until needed
2. When ready to create cordial, remove from freezer; rest 20 mins, remove peel
3. Weigh out about 330g/11.5oz frozen watermelon flesh into a good sized bowl
4. Add mint leaves and lime juice; blitz with stick or bowl blender until slush-like 
5. Pour into a container; cover, refrigerate overnight for flavours to deepen
6. Taste; if necessary add a bit more lime juice plus sweetener, little by little, until to your taste; keep cordial cool until needed     

Cocktail (Virgin or alcoholic)

1. Strain (a clean tea strainer will do) 2 tbsp cordial into a glass, top up with 150ml (generous 1/2 cup) fizzy water OR Prosecco OR white wine OR vodka.  Add ice.   
2. Garnish with thin slice of lime and/or a mint leaf 

Comments:

'Refreshing and delicate.  A  great use of watermelon that would otherwise have been binned.'  Retired writer

Tip:

If you liked this you will also like Pear & Ginger Fizz

                                                More double-duty drinks on NavBar: Recipes1/Drinks...  

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This recipe has been adapted by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises; credits as above and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.