WATERMELON GRANITA is an easy recipe perfect to help you beat the heat this summer! It is cool, refreshing, and a tasty treat to have on hand when the temperatures start to rise!
This is the time of year I can’t help but start looking for watermelon in the store. Like flip flops and sunscreen, watermelon and cold drinks are summertime staples and here in Florida, we need lots of icy treats to help us keep our cool. Granita is basically a fancy name for shaved ice. Don’t let the sophisticated name scare you off! This recipe is super easy! As a matter-of-fact, it is super versatile too! You can sub in your favorite fruit and have a variety of flavors to enjoy all summer long!
Granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water, and various flavorings. It originates from Sicily and is very popular all over Italy. But you don’t have to take a European vacation to enjoy this sweet summer treat! No special machine needed either! It’s easy to make at home and will impress at all of your summer gatherings!
Start by making a simple syrup using 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar. TIP: If your watermelon is extra sweet and delicious, you might want to reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup. Heat in a pan until the sugar is dissolved and then set aside until ready to use. Next, blend the cubed watermelon in a blender or food processor until you have a pureed mixture. Then pour the simple syrup into the blender with the puree and mix in 1 tablespoon lemon juice…
Stir to combine and pour into an 8-inch or 9-inch pan and freeze for two to three hours…
Once the top layer is frozen, use a fork to scrape the frozen layer into shaved ice. Place the pan back in the freezer for another hour or so and repeat the process until all of the watermelon mixture is scraped into shaved ice. Cover and store in the freezer until ready to serve. Enjoy!
TIP: If the mixture freezes solid before you have a chance to do the scraping process, no worries, just cut out large pieces and process in the food processor until the consistency of shaved ice.
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar TIP: If your watermelon is extra sweet and delicious, you might want to reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup
- ½ cup water
- 4 cups cubed watermelon seedless (about 1/2 a watermelon)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved; set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, process the watermelon until pureed.
- Add in the sugar syrup and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and stir to combine.
- Pour into a 8 or 9" pan and freeze for 2 to 3 hours. Once the top layer is frozen, use a fork to scrape the frozen layer into shaved ice. Place the pan back in the freezer for another hour or so and repeat the process until all of the watermelon mixture is scraped into shaved ice. Cover and store in the freezer until ready to serve. Enjoy!
- TIP: If the mixture freezes before you have a chance to do the scraping process, no worries, just cut out large pieces and process in the food processor until the consistency of shaved ice.
More ways to beat the summertime heat
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