Sooooo….this happened.

I’m at the store and for some reason this watermelon catches my eye. It says “Oh hello. Please make a jello shot out of me.” Well who am I to argue with a watermelon?

Seriously though, talking watermelons aside, I had no intentions of making jello shots when I walked into the grocery store this morning. But then I remembered it was “J” week…the 6-month anniversary of the first ever jello shot on this blog. Since then, I’ve concocted 10 jello shots in all.

Sometimes I worry I’m a little out of control with all of the jello shot-making. (Like when I opted for the economy-size box of Knox gelatin at the store recently.) But then I remember how awesome they are and I quickly get over it.

Once I got the watermelon home, I sort of just stared at it for awhile trying to figure out how to make it into a worthy jello shot vessel. In retrospect, a half watermelon (versus a quarter or one) would have probably been the easier route. But I didn’t have half a watermelon. I had a quarter of one. So I sort of made it into a little canoe with the sides still in tact so it could hold the jello while it sets. Don’t worry about completely scraping it all out. It will be a nice little final bite when people are enjoying the jello shots!

Now sure, you could just buy watermelon jello, but that’s not how I roll. I was inspired by my friend Kim’s boozy popsicles she made for her rehearsal dinner. Use the scooped-out watermelon and plop it into a blender with about 15-20 fresh mint leaves. Blend until smooth. (Alternately, if you have a juicer, I bet that would work really well here).

From here, you need to remove the solids. To do this, Simply pour through a mesh strainer. You’ll need about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of watermelon mint juice to make a single batch of jello shots.

To make the jello mixture, combine watermelon mint juice with a little fresh squeezed lime juice and 1-2 tablespoons honey in a small saucepan. Sprinkle with 2 packets of Knox gelatin and let it soak in for a bit. Heat until everything has dissolved, stirring constantly. Stir in vodka (I used some citrus-infused stuff) or gin and then pour into your watermelon “boat.” (You might want to set it in a small pan in case it spills over at all). Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Once jello has set, you can cut into wedges. To do this, I first sliced off the watermelon “walls.” Then I cut cut the big wedge in half lengthwise. Finally, I cut those into little wedges.

How *perfect* would these be for those summer BBQ’s?!? Serve them on a platter garnished with mint and get ready for your friends to be amazed.

P.S. Are you following me on all social media platforms?
Follow my tweets on Twitter.
“Like” eisforeat on Facebook.
Follow my pinboards on Pinterest.
Check out my instagram photos by finding me at jaymeesirecsn.