Granita al Limone (Sicilian Lemon Granita)
Local name: Granita al limone
In short: A coarse, icy Sicilian dessert of fresh lemon juice and sugar, raked into sparkling crystals. Three ingredients and no ice cream machine. It takes about 20 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Resting
- 4 h
- Total
- 20 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 150 kcal
Granita is Sicily's cooling summer treat: a half-frozen, crystalline ice made from fruit juice, water and sugar, scraped with a fork until it forms loose, glistening flakes. Lemon is the most refreshing flavor and the easiest to make at home, with no machine needed. Eat it with a spoon on a hot afternoon or, as Sicilians do for breakfast in summer, with a brioche. Its texture is coarser than sorbet, and it is best eaten the day it is made.
Instructions
- Heat the sugar, water and lemon zest strips in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves completely. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let it cool for 30 minutes.
- Remove the zest strips. Stir in the lemon juice and salt, then strain the mixture into a shallow metal or freezer-safe dish, about 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inches).
- Freeze for 1 hour, until ice crystals begin to form at the edges. Scrape the frozen edges into the middle with a fork.
- Return the dish to the freezer and repeat the scraping every 30 to 40 minutes, for 3 to 4 hours in total, until you have fluffy, separate crystals.
- Serve in chilled glasses with a spoon. If the granita freezes solid, leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes and rake it again with a fork.
Tips
- Use fresh lemons and taste the mixture before freezing. It should taste slightly too sweet and sour, because freezing dulls both.
- Swap the lemon for strained blood orange or watermelon juice. Serve with a few fresh mint leaves.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between granita and sorbet?
Granita is scraped by hand into coarse, icy crystals, while sorbet is churned until smooth and fine. Granita is lighter and more refreshing, and it is made without a machine.
How long does granita keep?
It is best eaten within a day. After that it turns into a solid block, but you can rake it with a fork again after letting it stand for 10 minutes.
Can I use a blender instead of scraping?
Yes. Freeze the mixture solid, break it into chunks and blitz it in a blender until fluffy, then serve right away. The texture is finer than hand-scraped granita.
How long does it take to make Granita al Limone (Sicilian Lemon Granita)?
About 20 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 5 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Granita al Limone (Sicilian Lemon Granita)?
About 150 kcal per serving, with 0 g of protein, 37 g of carbohydrates and 0 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 150 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 37 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 36 g |
| Sodium | 15 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
