Italian Strawberry Granita

Italians are famous around the world for gelato, delicious Italian ice cream. But there is another sweet frozen treat that Italians have perfected that is quick and easy to make and will quench your thirst on a hot day: granita.

Granita is a semi-frozen liquid made from sugar, juice or water and fresh fruit or flavoring. It is a close cousin to sorbet, although it has a rougher, icier texture that is more granular. Unlike ice cream and sorbet, you can actually feel the ice crystals which form the texture and substance of the dessert drink.

Granita is the perfect dessert to make with your children as it is relatively easy to prepare and doesn’t require any expensive equipment to create this culinary masterpiece. With no preservatives, it is healthier than ice cream and can be made in a relatively short amount of time. The vast majority of flavors are fruit based, but coffee granita is delicious too!

What is the history of granita?

Granita is a traditional Sicilian recipe and was originally served as part of breakfast with fresh crusty bread. Times and tastes change, and the bread has now been replaced with brioche, which is locally called tuppu.

What are the main differences between sorbet, granita and ice cream?

Sorbet contains only two main ingredients: fruit and sugar. There are no dairy products whatsoever, although some people mistakenly think it is a form of ice cream due to the fact that it is regularly churned in an ice cream maker. Sorbet is often used to “cleanse the palate” because it not only has an intense flavor but it is also very refreshing.

Granita, as we already discussed, has three main ingredients: water/juice, sugar and fruit/flavoring. Very similar to sorbet, the main difference being in the texture because granita has a much rougher consistency. When eating a granita, you should be able to feel and savor the individual icy flakes.

Ice cream has very specific regulations it must follow when made in the USA. The regulations state that ice cream must contain 10% milk fat. Ice cream must constantly be churned during the freezing process and also be sweet.

What equipment is needed to make granita?

You’ll need just a few items to create this flavorful liquid which is sure to become one of your favorite frozen treats.

• measuring cups
• spoon and fork
• blender/food processor
• 9×13-inch shallow metallic pan

Ingredients to make granita

• Fresh fruit (4 cups) – you can choose any fruit you like and peel, remove seeds and cut into cubes. Some of our favorites are: strawberry granita and watermelon granita.
• Lime or lemon juice or water (1/4 cup) – you can make the juice yourself by squeezing limes or lemons or purchase juice. Substitute with water if the recipe you are making doesn’t work well with these juices, for instance for coffee granita.
• Granulated sugar (1/4 cup) – just plain white sugar works the best, but you can use cane sugar if you like the taste. We do not recommend using a brown sugar as it will alter the flavor too much.
•  Salt (1/8 tbsp) – salt is optional so you can leave it out if you prefer.

How to make granita step by step

Although there are numerous recipes to choose from, the process is generally as follows:

1. First Transform The Fruit Into A Pulp

Put the fruit, lime juice and sugar (and salt if you are adding it) into the blender or food processor with a blade attachment.

Blend together until the mixture is smooth.

2. Freeze The Fruit In A Shallow Metal Pan

Pour the puree into the metal pan. Be sure that the layer is not too thin, or it will stick to the bottom of the pan, or too thick, as it will take too long to freeze.

Put in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the freezer, the puree should have started to freeze on the top and around the edges.

3. Time To Go Back To The Freezer

Using a fork, gently scrape the mixture, stir and then put it back in the freezer. After another 30 minutes, scrape again, stir and return to the freezer.

Do this every 30 minutes for four hours until the puree is completely frozen and looks dry and flaky like a slushy or snow cone.

If you want to use a topping such as lime or lemon zest or pepper flakes, stir them in a separate small bowl and set aside.

Scoop your crunchy fruit granita into small single-serving bowls or cups and serve. Now is the time to add the toppings for extra goodness!

Expert tips for making granita

• Get the right blend. Use afood processor or blender to turn the fruit, juice and sugar into something similar to a smoothie. If the consistency doesn’t seem right after blending, and it is too dry, add a few teaspoonfuls of water.
• Metal pans work best. A metal baking pan is the best container to use for freezing the granita because the metal gets cold quickly and helps the mixture freeze.
• Check on it often. Be sure to check and scrape your granita every 30 minutes, if not it will turn into one huge chunk of fruity ice!

Try other delicious desserts:

• Affogato al Caffè
• How to Make Panna Cotta

Different variations of granita

Granita is cheap, easy and fun to make, so you can experiment every time you make it, discovering and creating your own individual specialties. Here are a few flavor ideas and combinations to get you started:

• Watermelon, Lime, and Mint – watermelon has enough water, so reduce the lime juice by half. Garnish with whole mint leaves.
• Honeydew – this fruit contains a lot of water and is usually fairly sweet, so you will add less water or juice and less sugar when making it.
• Lemon – because of the tartness, you might need to add some extra sugar. Add some lemon zest as a topping if you love lemon flavor.
• Coffee – to make coffee granita, substitute the fruit with 4 cups of strong coffee and let it cool completely. Then add the water and sugar and proceed with the recipe as normal. This is great served with whipped cream on top!
• Strawberry and Mascarpone – be sure to leave out the juice and just add water if needed because you don’t want the mascarpone to curdle.
• Orange – consider substituting the juice/water with milk and a little vanilla extract to make an Orange Julius-like treat.
• Champagne – use 4 cups of Champagne or Prosecco and add water and freeze as directed.

Always bear in mind the various factors that can and will alter the taste of the dessert. For instance, the higher the volume of water that the fruit holds will mean you will need less water or juice. Depending on how sweet the fruit is you will need to put a little more or less sugar.

Enjoy your granita with one of these Italian drinks:

• Homemade Limoncello
• Refreshing Aperol Spritz
• Americano Cocktail

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