By Seth Fera-Schanes

Few things are more refreshing than a slice of watermelon at a summer picnic.  One of the exceptions would be to take that watermelon and gently bathe it in a mixture of rum, lime juice and a little sugar.  See full recipe below.

Purchasing a watermelon in New York City can be difficult.  You will have three options to choose from:

1.  Whole watermelon.  Good if you are going to make this recipe but for one or two people it is just too much.  Additionally, with the price around $12/watermelon in this city, it is not an option I normally choose.

2.  Quarter of a watermelon.  To solve for the problem laid out in our first scenario, New York stores have opted to break apart the watermelon into manageable pieces.  I like this choice, however I have seen these quarter slices selling for around $6.  That means the whole watermelon would be $24 and I have a hard time justifying that price.

3.  The watermelon cup.  Seen in grocery stores and bodegas throughout the city, these are essentially single serving sizes.  All the prep work has been done for you and you will have neat little cubes of watermelon for your enjoyment.  There is no waste here and it really is a nice portion.  However, you are paying for this convenience and for $4 it also is on the steep price end.  You will justify this by saying it is under $5 and that I am not going to waste extra watermelon so I am buying it.  And you do buy it – like 4 times a week for approximately $16 in recurring watermelon bills for the duration of the summer.

Spiked Watermelon Balls

Serving size: 8-10
Prep time: 1-2 hours
Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
1/4 watermelon small and ripe
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup light rum
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel

Directions:
Bring the water to a boil. Stir in sugar and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the rum and simmer for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool somewhat before adding the lime juice and the grated lime peel. Cut melons into balls with a melon baller. Pour the syrup over the fruit, mix gently, cover and chill for several hours before serving.