This hot weather has me yearning for granita, a simple frozen confection of intense, fruity-flavored slivers of ice that melt instantly on the tongue. Made with fruit juice and sugar--if needed-- but no milk product, it's not a sherbet nor a sorbet. And it is the easiest antidote to this heat wave. Because no machine is required!
You can make granita, (Italian for "to make grainy") from any fruit juice--including lemonade. I particularly
enjoy grapefruit and pomegranate ices. It takes just a few minutes to prepare, then patience while you wait for it to freeze. However, one does get to enjoy the added pleasure of opening the freezer door several times to bathe in a short breath of refreshing chilly air. In other words, double your cooling down pleasures!
First, squeeze some fresh juice, or make lemonade, or open a bottle or can of your favorite fruit beverage, such as pomegranate. Next, if necessary for extra tart juices, you make a simple sugar syrup (instructions follow). Then you pour the juice into a tempered glass dish (you don't want to use an aluminum pan with fruit juices) and place it in the freezer. But don't stop here!
Now for the "make grainy" part:
After about an hour--or even less, depending on how cold your freezer is--stir the mixture with a fork. Go back every half hour or so--don't let the mixture freeze solid--and stir again. Continue making trips to the freezer to stir with a fork until all of the juice has become an airy slush of lusciousness. Then dish it up and enjoy. If there's anything leftover, it will freeze hard overnight. You can break this up and toss into a glass of seltzer, or pop the chunks into your mouth. Your choice. If, like I noted, there's anything leftover.
Grapefruit Granita (using unsweetened juice)
First, make a simple syrup:
Combine 1 cup boiling water and 1/3 cup sugar (or a little less sugar if you prefer a tartness to your treat) and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let cool.
Add to the cool syrup 2 1/2 cups fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Pour this mixture into a tempered glass and freeze/stir as described above.
Pomegranate Granita
The bottled, pure pomegranate juice we have readily available is pleasantly sweet-tart to begin with. I use the juice straight from the bottle. If you wish to heighten the sweetness, make a simple surgar syrup as described above, then add just a teaspoon or two at a time until you think it tastes juuust right. Then freeze and stir, freeze and stir, etc.
You can make granita, (Italian for "to make grainy") from any fruit juice--including lemonade. I particularly
First, squeeze some fresh juice, or make lemonade, or open a bottle or can of your favorite fruit beverage, such as pomegranate. Next, if necessary for extra tart juices, you make a simple sugar syrup (instructions follow). Then you pour the juice into a tempered glass dish (you don't want to use an aluminum pan with fruit juices) and place it in the freezer. But don't stop here!
Now for the "make grainy" part:
After about an hour--or even less, depending on how cold your freezer is--stir the mixture with a fork. Go back every half hour or so--don't let the mixture freeze solid--and stir again. Continue making trips to the freezer to stir with a fork until all of the juice has become an airy slush of lusciousness. Then dish it up and enjoy. If there's anything leftover, it will freeze hard overnight. You can break this up and toss into a glass of seltzer, or pop the chunks into your mouth. Your choice. If, like I noted, there's anything leftover.
Grapefruit Granita (using unsweetened juice)
First, make a simple syrup:
Combine 1 cup boiling water and 1/3 cup sugar (or a little less sugar if you prefer a tartness to your treat) and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let cool.
Add to the cool syrup 2 1/2 cups fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Pour this mixture into a tempered glass and freeze/stir as described above.
Pomegranate Granita
The bottled, pure pomegranate juice we have readily available is pleasantly sweet-tart to begin with. I use the juice straight from the bottle. If you wish to heighten the sweetness, make a simple surgar syrup as described above, then add just a teaspoon or two at a time until you think it tastes juuust right. Then freeze and stir, freeze and stir, etc.
Ice juice! I really like this one. I didn't know that creating a Granita juice is as simply as 1-2-3. Thank you so much.
Posted by: canada bargain | August 16, 2011 at 10:09 PM