Frozen Colombian Lulo and Lime Slush with Fresh Mint and Cane Sugar

Make the cane syrup first if you have not already: stir equal parts sugar and hot water until fully dissolved, then chill completely — a warm syrup will melt your ice and thin the slush.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups frozen lulo pulp (naranjilla), thawed, or 1 1/4 cups passion fruit pulp
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, from about 4 limes
• 1/2 cup cane sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and hot water, cooled)
• 6 ounces white rum
• 4 cups ice cubes
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 1 lime, cut into wheels
• Cane sugar, for rimming the glasses

Instructions

1. Make the cane syrup first if you have not already: stir equal parts sugar and hot water until fully dissolved, then chill completely — a warm syrup will melt your ice and thin the slush.
2. Rim four tall glasses by running a lime wedge around the edge and rolling each rim in cane sugar, then put the glasses in the freezer to frost while you work.
3. Combine the lulo pulp, lime juice, cane syrup, rum and the pinch of salt in a blender and blend for 15 seconds to fully integrate before any ice goes in.
4. Add the mint leaves and pulse three or four times — short pulses release the oils without shredding the mint into bitter green flecks.
5. Add the ice all at once and blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds, until the mixture is uniformly smooth and holds a soft peak on a spoon.
6. Check the balance: it should be bracingly tart with the sugar arriving late; add syrup a tablespoon at a time if the lulo is especially sharp.
7. If the slush is too loose, add half a cup more ice and blend for 10 seconds; if it is too stiff to pour, add a splash of cold water.
8. Pour into the frosted sugar-rimmed glasses, mounding the slush slightly above the rim.
9. Garnish each with a lime wheel and a mint sprig, and serve immediately with a wide straw before it starts to separate.
10. Lulo — called naranjilla outside Colombia — is a small orange fruit with green flesh that tastes like a cross between rhubarb, pineapple and lime, and it is the backbone of Colombian juice culture. Fresh lulo is nearly impossible to find in North America, but frozen pulp is stocked in most Latin markets and works perfectly here. If you cannot find it, passion fruit pulp is the closest substitute for that same tart-tropical edge; for a virgin version, replace the rum with an equal amount of coconut water.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 260 kcal
• Protein: 1g
• Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 34g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 30g
• Sodium: 45mg