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I’m admittedly not a huge watermelon fan, but I do like artificial watermelon flavoring. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some really good recipes out there for watermelon, and I also understand I’m in the minority.

So today, I step out of my own comfort zone and we’re doing watermelon recipes!

Also, happy birthday to my wonderful wife Aly!! She puts up with a lot from me, and some occasionally bad cooking, so she deserves praise year round, but especially this week on her birthday!!

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WATERMELON JELLY

2 c. watermelon juice (from about 1 small or 1/2 large watermelon)

3 tbsp. fresh or bottle lemon juice

3 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 pouch liquid pectin

To make watermelon juice, roughly chop watermelon. You’ll need about 6 cups of chopped melon to produce about two cups of juice. Run melon through a food mill (if you have one), or crush and then strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any seeds or pulp.

Prepare canner and wash/sterilize 8 4-ounce canning jars. Keep jars in hot (not boiling) water until ready to use.

Combine watermelon juice, lemon juice, and sugar in a 6 to 8-quart nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a full roiling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) over high heat, stirring constantly.

Quickly stir in pectin. Return to a full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon.

Ladle hot jam into jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headspace. Wipe the rims clean and top with lid; screw on ring until finger tight. Process in a boiling water bath for 7 minutes. Remove from water and let cool completely, 12 to 24 hours. Check seals. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 1 month.

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BACON WRAPPED WATERMELON BITES

1 pound (16 slices) hardwood smoked bacon

1/2 small watermelon, diced (you'll need sixteen 1-1/2 to 2 inch cubes of watermelon)

16 small basil leaves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place bacon in single layer on parchment-lined rimmed baking pan. Transfer to oven and bake 14 to 16 minutes or until most fat is rendered. Bacon pieces should be starting to crisp around the edges, but soft and pliable in the middle.

While warm, wrap bacon slices around watermelon cubes. Top each bite with basil leaf and secure with toothpick

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FROSTY WATERMELON PIE

1-1/4 c watermelon juice (See note below)

FILLING:

1/8 tsp. Lemon Zest

1/8 c. Lemon Juice

1/4 c. Sugar See note below in the instructions

1/8 c. vegan creamer (I use the So Delicious brand

2 tsp. Agar Agar Powder (you can get this at any health food grocer or on Amazon.com)

Coconut Whipped Cream

Mint for garnish if desired

Note: Remove the rind from enough watermelon slices to make 1-1/4 cups once strained. Puree the watermelon in the food processor. You have to strain it to remove the pulp. We only want the juice for this recipe.

Place 1/2 of the juice into a small saucepan. Add the agar powder and whisk together. Then, over medium heat and whisking occasionally, cook for about 5 minutes to thicken. Cool slightly.

In the remaining watermelon juice, add the lemon zest and juice along with the sugar. You could add less sugar, it's important to taste to see how sweet your watermelon is. Add the creamer and whisk all ingredients together.

Combine the cooked watermelon juice with the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into a glass measuring cup for easier pouring.

Pour into prepared shells and freeze for 2 hours and transfer to the refrigerator until serving. Alternately, you could just refrigerate for 4 hours. These should not be frozen, just firm.

Serve with our coconut whipped cream and a sprig of mint.

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I’ve done a recipe that featured watermelon and jalapeno BBQ ribs before, and the sauce was phenomenal. Here’s the recipe for just the watermelon barbecue sauce!

WATERMELON BBQ SAUCE

1/2 cup watermelon puree I used my blender to puree

2 garlic cloves minced

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp. white vinegar

salt & pepper

Combine watermelon puree, garlic, ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, and vinegars in a medium sized sauce pan. Heat to boiling and then lower to a simmer.

Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool and then serve. Enjoy!

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 Here’s a nice, fresh, summer adult beverage to enjoy with watermelon!

WATERMELON SHANDY

4 oz. cold fresh watermelon juice

4 oz. cold lemonade

8 to 12 oz. your favorite cold wheat beer 

Lime wedges for garnish

Watermelon wedge for garnish

Watermelon juice

1 seedless baby watermelon

Add the watermelon and lemonade in a frosty glass and stir. Pour the beer over top, squeeze in a lime wedge and garnish with another. Serve with a slice of watermelon!

TFD: “I’m always thinking one step ahead, like a...carpenter that makes stairs.” — Andy Bernard

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