Cooking Lesson #630: What-A-Watermelon

…from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? I have a bowl of cubed cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon in my refrigerator ready to eat most mornings. It’s a great way to start the day. I dig around and get as much of the watermelon as I can and hope it’s sweet and juicy.
 
Watermelon is not only a great day-starter, it is abundant at summer cookouts and gatherings. There is a way to step it up for the centerpiece for a summer happy hour by infusing it with vodka. It takes the fruit (and your party) to a whole new level of fun. There is a reason it is sometime known as a drunken watermelon.
 
All it takes is a pint of vodka, a whole small watermelon and a little time. The recipe calls for simply injecting vodka into a whole watermelon and letting it slowly seep into the fruit. When it's ready, just cut the melon into pieces and enjoy eating this delicious boozy summer treat.
 
This is an adult only snack make sure to keep the kids away and let your guests know that the watermelon slices have vodka in them so no one's surprised by getting stopped by the police on the way home.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Infusing time:  12 hours
Yield:  8 to 12 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 watermelon
1 pint (375ml) of vodka (you can use rum or tequila as well)
 
Directions
Using a marinade injector to infuse a whole watermelon with vodka is a simple and much more effective method than pouring the vodka into a hole in a watermelon, as we used to do in college.

1. Gather the ingredients and tools for making vodka-spiked watermelon.
2. With the watermelon resting on a large, rimmed sheet pan, use a meat injector and inject the vodka slowly into the watermelon in several places, allowing the watermelon to rest for a few minutes between injections to absorb the liquid.
3. Injecting the watermelon slowly and resting between injections is key. If injected too quickly and in rapid succession, the vodka will trickle and sometimes spurt out of the holes.
4. Continue to slowly inject the vodka into the watermelon, resting between injections until the vodka repeatedly trickles out of the holes. At this point, the melon has absorbed all that it can.
5. Allow the infused melon to rest refrigerated for 12 to 24 hours. The vodka will slowly filter into the watermelon's flesh as it rests.
6. When ready to serve, simply cut the watermelon into slices as normal.
7. Enjoy.

Warning:  Enjoy, but because the fruit has soaked up a pint alcohol, eating a slice of the spiked watermelon is equivalent to drinking a cocktail and therefore should be consumed in moderation.

ChefSecret:  Use a large, rimmed baking sheet under the melon to catch any excess vodka. You can also use a flavored vodka, such as citrus or berry, to add more flavor to your watermelon.

Quip of the Day:  Why did the watermelon have brown spots all over its skin? It had melanoma.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.

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                                                                         ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

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