Equipment
Ingredients
Pudding Base
- 1200 g watermelon, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 100 g white sugar, granulated
- 80 g cornstarch
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 10 ml jasmine water
Garnish
- 30 g pistachios, shelled, unsalted, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 204 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 45 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 29 g
- Sodium
- 3 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 278 mg
- Calcium
- 20 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 27 mg
- Phosphorus
- 48 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 57 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 17 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.05 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 9 mcg
- Water
- 188 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the cubed watermelon in a blender and process until completely smooth. Pour the puree through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring jug, pressing gently with a spoon to extract all the liquid. Discard the remaining fibrous pulp. Measure out exactly 1000ml of juice.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Pour in a small splash of the strained watermelon juice, whisking vigorously to create a smooth, lump-free paste. Gradually whisk in the remaining juice until perfectly combined.
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly with the whisk, until it comes to a gentle boil and thickens significantly. Once large bubbles break the surface at around 95 degrees Celsius (203 degrees Fahrenheit), continue to cook and whisk for exactly 2 more minutes to fully activate the starches.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Immediately stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and the jasmine water until seamlessly incorporated.
Divide the hot pudding mixture evenly among 6 serving glasses. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then press a small piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of each pudding. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours, or until completely firm.
Just before serving, remove the plastic wrap and garnish the surface of each chilled pudding with roughly chopped pistachios.
Chef's Notes
- For the most vibrant color and deepest flavor, seek out fully ripe, deeply red sugar baby or traditional seeded watermelons rather than pale seedless varieties.
- Do not skip passing the watermelon juice through a fine sieve. Any fibrous pulp left behind will muddy the signature silky, clear texture of the final pudding.
- If substituting rose water for jasmine water, begin with just 5ml and taste the mixture. Floral waters vary wildly in potency and can easily overpower the delicate melon notes.
- Applying plastic wrap directly against the hot pudding surface prevents condensation from dripping back into the dessert and stops an unappealing rubbery skin from forming during cooling.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep covered tightly with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Troubleshooting
Pudding did not set and remained a liquid soup
Cause: The cornstarch was not heated thoroughly enough to activate, or the mixture was not brought to a full boil
Fix: Return the mixture to a saucepan, bring back to a gentle boil, cook for 2 minutes, and chill again
Prevention: Ensure the mixture comes to a visible, bubbling boil and cooks for an additional 1 to 2 minutes after thickening
Pudding is lumpy
Cause: Cornstarch was mixed directly into hot or bulk liquid without creating a slurry first
Fix: Pass the cooked mixture through a fine mesh sieve before chilling to remove clumps
Prevention: Always mix the dry starch with a tiny amount of cold liquid to form a paste before adding the rest of the juice
Cultural Context
Gelo di Melone is an iconic Sicilian summertime dessert, intrinsically tied to the celebration of Saint Rosalia in Palermo every July. The dish beautifully illustrates the island's historical Arab culinary influences, utilizing starch-thickened fruit juices and fragrant floral waters like jasmine to create cooling, elegant sweets perfectly suited for the sweltering Mediterranean heat.
