Ingredients
1 watermelon (about 3.5 kg / 7-8 lbs)
Seasonings
150 g (about 5 oz) each of candied lotus seeds, candied water chestnuts, canned lychees, and pineapple, 250 g (about 9 oz) each of apples and snow pears, 750 g (about 1.7 lbs) of rock sugar.
Instructions
1. Place rock sugar in a stewing bowl, add 2000 g (about 8 1/2 cups) of boiling water, and steam over high heat for about 15 minutes. Remove, strain through a clean cloth, let cool, then cover and refrigerate until needed.
2. Wash the watermelon, cut off about 1/6 from the stem end to use as a lid, use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh and set aside, pick out the seeds and soak them in water (about 2 lbs of water needed); rinse the hollowed watermelon shell with water, then pour in 1500 g (about 3.3 lbs) of chilled sweetened water, cover with the lid, and refrigerate.
3. Wash the apples and pears with cold boiled water, peel them, cut off both ends, remove the cores, and soak them in 1000 g (about 4 cups) of water; after soaking for a while, remove them, cut the lychees, pineapple, apples, and pears into 4 cm (about 1.5 inch) cubes, split the lotus seeds in half, place everything into a soup bowl, pour the remaining rock sugar water over them and let steep for 30 minutes, then drain in a colander (reserve the sugar water for another use).
4. Remove the chilled watermelon bowl from the refrigerator, pour in all the fruit mixture, cover with the watermelon lid, and return to the fridge for another half hour before serving. This watermelon bowl is refreshingly sweet, delightfully aromatic with fruit flavors, and perfect for cutting through rich, greasy foods.