Bottling Up Summer: Watermelon Syrup

Watermelon syrupPhoto and recipe courtesy of Cupcake Project

The first and last watermelon of the summer are always a memorable occasion. If you love a refreshing slice as much as we do, you probably also always have one or two globes lying around! We’ve never seen this kind of watermelon syrup before – it’s so unique but it just makes sense! Capture the sweet essence of this seasonal fruit in an elixir that can be used even when it’s not summer! Use it on pancakes, popsicles, or oatmeal and spread the leftover watermelon “butter” on pastries! With no added ingredients, not even sugar, this is the perfect recipe for those times you’ve bought one watermelon too many!

Ingredients

1 seedless watermelon (I used a 16 lb watermelon and ended up with 3 cups of syrup)

Directions

  1. Cut the watermelon into small pieces and throw it in a food processor (you’ll probably need to do this in batches unless you have a really big food processor).  Process until it’s liquified.
  2. Simmer the watermelon liquid in a large, heavy-bottomed pot on medium-low heat for eight hours, stirring periodically to ensure that the syrup isn’t scorching.
  3. Strain the syrup in a sieve.  Keep both parts – the smooth red watermelon syrup and the thick watermelon pulp.Watermelon syrup 01