Tart and fruity, bright and boozy, these tequila, lime, & watermelon popsicles are the perfect late-summer treat!
Yield: 10 (75mL) popsicles
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Total Time: 12 hourshours
Ingredients
½cup/ 120gwater
½cup/ 100gsugar
2cups/ 480gwatermelon juice, from half a small-ish watermelon
¼cup/ 60gfreshly squeezed lime juice, from 3 to 4 fresh limes
¼cup/ 60gclear tequila
Instructions
Combine water and sugar in a microwave safe container or glass measuring cup. Heat on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is clear. You can also do this in a small saucepan on the stove, heating just until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool completely.
To make watermelon juice, roughly chop watermelon. You’ll need about 6 cups of chopped melon to produce about a cup of juice. Run melon through a food mill (if you have one), or give it a brief whir in the blender on low speed (careful not to pulverize the seeds). Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Measure out 2 cups of juice.
Combine watermelon juice, sugar syrup, lime juice and zest, and tequila in a small bowl or pitcher. If you want the pops to freeze faster, chill this mixture down in the fridge for an hour or two first. Pour into popsicle molds, leaving about ½-inch of head space to allow for expansion (for my molds this was approximately ⅓ cup/75mL per popsicle), then place on a level surface in the freezer.
To reduce separation (watermelon juice is particularly prone to this), gently stir the popsicles every 30 minutes (set a timer so you don't forget). After about 2 to 3 hours, the pops will take on a slushy consistency. When they reach this point, stir once more, and then position the sticks standing straight up in the middle. Return to the freezer overnight until frozen solid.
To remove the pops from the molds, gently submerge the popsicle mold ¾ of the way in a container of lukewarm water. Let sit for 30 seconds, then gently slide out the pops. To store them long-term, place pieces of parchment between pops inside a zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.