Watermelon Popping Boba

Ingredients

• 200 ml Watermelon juice (Freshly blended and strained)
• 1 g Sodium Alginate (Mixed into the watermelon juice)
• 500 ml Water (For the calcium bath)
• 5 g Calcium Lactate (Dissolved in the water bath)
• 1 tbsp Sugar (Optional, to sweeten the juice if needed)
• Clean water (For rinsing the finished boba)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the watermelon juice by blending fresh watermelon chunks and straining the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve to remove all pulp. Measure out 200ml of the clear juice.

2. 2

   Add 1g of sodium alginate to the watermelon juice. Use a milk frother or immersion blender to mix thoroughly until the powder is completely dissolved. Let the mixture sit for at least 15-30 minutes to allow air bubbles to escape.

3. 3

   Prepare the calcium bath by dissolving 5g of calcium lactate into 500ml of water in a wide bowl. Stir until the water is completely clear.

4. 4

   Using a dropper, syringe, or a squeeze bottle, carefully drip the watermelon juice mixture into the calcium lactate bath. Hold the dropper about 2-3 inches above the surface to form round pearls.

5. 5

   Allow the boba pearls to sit in the calcium bath for about 2-3 minutes to form a thin skin. Do not leave them too long or they will become tough and lose their 'pop'.

6. 6

   Carefully scoop the pearls out of the bath using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl of clean water to rinse off the excess calcium lactate.

7. 7

   Drain the pearls and serve immediately in your favorite drink or dessert. Store in a small amount of sugar syrup or juice to prevent sticking.

Notes

Spherification requires precision; using a digital scale for the sodium alginate and calcium lactate is highly recommended. If the juice is too acidic, the reaction may not work correctly, but watermelon is typically fine.

Nutrition per serving

• boba
• popping boba
• watermelon
• dessert
• drink topping
• molecular gastronomy
• vegan
• gluten-free