Nothing says summer to me more than a snow cone. The soft, flaky ice topped with brightly colored syrups are synonymous with sunscreen and pool days. But, if you don’t have a fancy machine, snow cones require a stop by your local stand and although delicious, they aren’t likely to be an everyday treat. Granita is snowcone’s homemade cousin that requires nothing more than a basic blender, a pan, a freezer and a fork. If you have that summertime craving for something sweet and icy, this is for you. If you have leftover watermelon or some that is kind of mushy or flavorless, don’t throw it out! This recipe is the perfect way to use it up. So, if you are like me and you also have a lifetime of love for snowcones and wish you could make them at home, let me introduce you to this watermelon lime granita that will become your new summertime freezer staple.
What is a granita?
We all know Italy is famous for their gelato, but that isn’t the only frozen treat they have given us. Granita is made with fresh fruit and meant to be icy. You won’t find cream, milk and eggs in most granitas. It also doesn’t have the same silky texture as a sorbet. No. Granita is rustic. I.e. not complicated. In Sicily, it is traditionally served with brioche for breakfast and from what I understand, watermelon lime isn’t exactly traditional. You are much more likely to find a coffee granita for breakfast than this fruity flavor. Coffee granita for breakfast? Yep. Sounds good to me. This is the joy of cooking! It is mostly opinions and preferences. Although watermelon lime may not be traditional, my opinion is that granita made with watermelon and lime is delicious and I think you will like it, too. Granita is made using sweetened syrup, freezing it and stiring a few times while it is being frozen. Then, once it is fully frozen, it is flaked with a fork or, if you want a more slushy consistency, placed in the blender.
Making the granita base
I’m going to be honest with you. This recipe is simple and it is easy, but it is also a little bit of a commitment. I’ll get to that in a minute. First, the easy part. Cube your watermelon so that you can easily fit it into your blender. Try this instead. I’m able to fit about 5 cups in my blender at a time, but yours may be more or less. Add have the lime juice, half the water, half the sugar and half the lime zest. Don’t worry about any seeds. We are going to strain everything. Once your watermelon lime mixture is completely liquified, strain it through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the pulp.
Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients and pour the liquid into a 9×13 baking dish. Go ahead and clean out a spot in your freezer where this can be placed. It should be able to be level. You can cover with a lid or plastic wrap if you are concerned about sloshing. Now this is where we get to the committment part of the recipe.
Creating the ice flakes
Leave your granita in the freezer for 1.5 hours. Remove from the freezer and give it a stir with a fork, making sure to scrape any ice chunks from the side. Return your granita to the freezer for another 1.5 hours. Remove and give it one more stir. It will be pretty slushy at this point. Return to the freezer one last time and freeze until solid. Depending on your freezer, this may be 1.5 hours, or more. Once frozen solid, remove your granita from the freezer and using a fork, scrape the top to form ice flakes. To keep your granita from breaking apart and sliding around the pan, I find it best to scrape in rows, so that I am scraping evenly. You may want to remove the flaked granita part way through the process and place it in a container in the freezer so that it does not thaw. This can also help make scraping eaiser. Once you get to the bottom of your pan, you may have chunks of the granita that break apart and scraping is not an option any longer. Those little chunks of watermelon lime ice still have a purpose!
Serve and store
To serve the granita, simply scoop your ice into individual dishes and enjoy! Those leftover ice chunks? They make a perfect fast and easy mocktail or cocktail. Add a few chunks to your blender and top with lime-flavored sparkling water. Pulse until slushy and serve. For a quick watermelon lime margarita, add a few chunks of the leftover ice, 1.5 ounces of tequila, and 2 ounces of lime sparking water to the blender. Pulse until slushy. Salt your rim or for extra flavor, try Tajin seasoning on the rim. Add your frozen margarita to your salted glass and enjoy! To store the watermelon lime granita, keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Ready to relive your childhood with this sweet, frozen treat? To make watermelon lime granita, this is what you need to know…
Watermelon Lime Granita
Ingredients
- 10 cups watermelon in 1 inch cubes
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lime zest
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- In a blender, combine half the watermelon, sugar, lime zest, lime juice and water. Blend fully until there are no chunks remaining.
- Strain the fruit mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a 9×13 baking dish. Discard the pulp.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Place the mixture in the freezer on a flat surface and freeze 1.5 hours. Remove from the freezer and stir with a fork, scraping the sides. Return to freezer.
- Freeze 1.5 hours more and again, remove, stir with a fork, scraping the sides. Return to the freezer.
- Allow to freeze completely. Once fully frozen, use a fork to scrape the ice, forming ice flakes. Scrape the block of ice uniformly to prevent it from breaking apart.
- Serve immediately. Store remaining granita in the freezer.
Notes
- Is your granita breaking apart and you are left with chunks at the end? Pop them in your blender with lime sparking water for a refreshing watermelon lime slush. Or, combine a few chunks with 1.5 ounces of tequila and 2 ounces of lime sparking water for an easy frozen watermelon lime margarita.
- While scraping your granita, if you notice it is beginning to melt, simply return it to the freezer for 10 minutes to harden.
- Store the granita in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing!