Frozen Melon With Crushed Raspberries And Lime Recipes

FROZEN MELON WITH CRUSHED RASPBERRIES AND LIME

Steps:

• Blend melon in a food processor or blender until completely smooth; you should have about 4 cups purée. Transfer to a 9-by-4-inch loaf pan (or a shallow baking dish, if you have space for it in your freezer).
• Add 1/2 cup lime juice and 2 tablespoons sugar and stir to blend; season with more lime juice and sugar, as needed. The mixture should be fairly tart and sweet. (The sweetness dulls once the mixture is frozen, so stay on the sweeter side now.) Place in freezer and let freeze until completely solid, anywhere from 2 to 4 hours, depending on your freezer.
• Once the mixture is frozen, use a spoon or fork to scrape the frozen melon into a fluffy pile of ice. If it becomes soft or melty when scraping, place it in the freezer until it's solid enough to scrape again.
• If serving immediately, lightly pack some of the ice into serving glasses or bowls. (If not, transfer the ice to a resealable container and freeze until ready to serve. The frozen melon can be prepared up to 2 weeks ahead; if scraped, it might need a little re-fluffing before serving.) Top each serving with raspberries and use a spoon or fork to crush them into the ice. Top with more ice, followed by a bit of lime zest, and then a little sumac and flaky salt, if using.

BERRY JAM

Steps:

• Toss berries and sugar together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Let sit for at least 15 minutes and up to overnight, periodically tossing to coat and to dissolve the sugar. (This will help coax the juices out of the fruit.)
• Place a small plate in the refrigerator to chill. (You'll use this later.)
• Bring the fruit to a strong simmer over medium heat until the berries burst and the juices start to boil, about 15 minutes. If using a vanilla bean as an add-in, put it in the pot at this point.
• Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook the jam, at first stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula, then more frequently as the juices thicken. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the fruit has begun to break down, 40 to 50 minutes. How much it breaks down will depend on its type and ripeness: For example, strawberries are likely to retain more of their shape, while raspberries will break down almost entirely.
• As the jam cooks, the liquid will reduce, the sugars thicken and the natural pectins activate. You'll notice the liquid go from a rapid, rolling boil with smaller bubbles to a slow, thick, tarlike boil with larger bubbles: This is the stage at which it's most important to stir constantly along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching and sticking. (Sugar is heavier than water and will concentrate there, increasing the chance that the fruit will burn.) It's also the stage at which splattering may occur, so take care in stirring.
• Once the jam reaches a slow, thick boil, add lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring constantly until the jam returns to its earlier consistency, about another 5 minutes. To test the consistency, spoon a bit of jam onto the chilled plate, return it to the refrigerator and chill for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through it: It should hold its shape on either side without appearing watery or runny. If it's not there yet, cook a few minutes more. (Note: Some fruit, like strawberries, contain more water and less natural pectin than say, a raspberry. This means the jam will never be quite as thick or gelled, but it will still be delicious).
• Remove from heat, and incorporate any of the add-ins listed (see notes). Pick out vanilla bean if you added it earlier. Divide jam between several 8-ounce canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space, and seal immediately. Can the jams (see our How to Make Jam guide for more instruction), or store in the refrigerator, using them within a couple of weeks.