Easy Watermelon Basil Sorbet with Black Sesame Brittle Crumbles

PLUS of all the methods for picking the perfect watermelon—what actually works?

The combination of watermelon and basil is highly underrated. You always hear about watermelon and mint—and it’s good, too—but I think basil is just better. Especially this time of year when basil is plentiful! I love opening one of those BIG containers of basil and burying my nose in it. God, it smells good.

(Speaking of basil… Katie found this basil scented candle by Dyptique that’s wildly expensive but completely worth it, and has now ruined us for every other candle.)

In honor of this perfect pairing and the summer heat, I came up with an easy sorbet that uses all your extra watermelon and comes together in a food-processor. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Watermelon Basil Sorbet

Ingredients:

6 cups cubed seedless watermelon

Juice of 1-2 limes

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water

1 cup fresh basil leaves

Start the day before you want to enjoy it:

1. Freeze the cubed watermelon 8 hours or overnight.

2. Make the basil simple syrup. In a saucepan, combine sugar, 1/2 cup of water, and rinsed basil leaves. Heat on low, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved. You may see basil leaves start to discolor—that’s okay! As soon as sugar has dissolved, take off the heat and steep for 30 minutes. Strain and store in the fridge.

   The next day:

3. Transfer frozen watermelon, 1 tbsp water, juice of a lime, and 2 tbsp of basil simple syrup to food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment. Puree. If it’s not coming together, add another 1/2 tbsp of water. Taste. Add more basil simple syrup if needed.

4. Store in a covered loaf pan or glass container in the freezer.

Black Sesame Brittle Crumbles

This is the absolute perfect topping, but admittedly, it’s a little high maintenance. You HAVE to watch it because it will burn if you don’t, and if it burns, it’s ruined. A silicone baking mat makes the process a million times easier, but you can heavily grease parchment paper if you don’t have one.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar

4 tbsp honey

1/4 cup raw black sesame seeds

Pinch of kosher salt

1 tsp virgin coconut oil

1/8 tsp baking soda

1. Heat sugar, honey, water, salt, in thick-bottomed saucepan. Heat on medium heat and stir until a smooth slurry is formed.

2. Stir in black sesame seeds and cook the sesame mixture, stirring often, until the mixture turns an amber caramel color, about 5 to 10 minutes, or reaches 300 degrees on a digital thermometer.

3. Remove from heat and stir in coconut oil until combined.

4. Once the coconut oil has completely melted into the mixture, stir in the baking soda. Expect the mixture to foam up a bit as it reacts to the baking soda.

5. Pour mixture on a silicone mat lined baking sheet and let harden.

6. Once hardened, break into pieces and place in a ziplock bag. Smash the bag with something heavy to make tiny crumbles.

7. Serve on top of sorbet, ice cream, or affogato.

The key to every great watermelon recipe is picking a good watermelon in the first place. But how?

My FYP is currently saturated by alllll kinds of tips on picking a good watermelon—many of the tips completely contradicting each other. Some talk about the veining (should they be wide? blurry? narrow?). Others rely solely on that deep hollow sound you expect from the perfect watermelon. It’s information overload, and I found myself both overwhelmed and anxious at the fruit stand, spending far too many minutes trying to make the best decision.

Finally, I found an article from All Recipes that interviewed actual farmers! I personally trust a farmer’s advice more than a Tiktok influencer’s (no offense to Tiktok influencers). According to them, these are the most important traits of a perfectly ripe watermelon:

1. The ‘field spot’. This is the area where the watermelon has been resting on the ground. You want it to be ‘Creamy yellow to straw-like in color’ according to Jerrold Watson, co-owner of Watsonia Farms in Monetta, South Carolina.

2. Feel heavy for their size.

3. Emit a deep, hollow sound when knocked on or tapped.

4. Are symmetrical in shape and free of bruises, cuts, and dents (light scratches are okay).

5. Have a brown stem.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the BEST watermelon recipe of all time — which is barely a recipe, is widely known, etc. — but hits every single time: watermelon + good feta + fresh herbs + a little lime.

I hope you make the most of this watermelon season just like I am!

Happy eating!

xx,

Mary