Lemon granita

This lemon granita is absolutely delicious, super fresh and very easy to make. We could also prepare it with oranges, tangerines or grapefruits.
Granita is born in Italy, more specifically in Sicily, and where the lemon granita is traditional, where lemons are characterized by not being so sour. We can find granites all over Italy, for example in Messina it`s usually made of coffee, or in Catania of almonds.

What is a granita?

It´s defined as a refreshing drink made exclusively with sugar, water and something to give it flavor (citrus juice, coffee, or even jasmine), it´s like a sort of ice cream that´s NOT made with a machine (ice cream maker) because it´s a more “primitive” version.You simply have to freeze it while shaking it from time to time and then scrape it with a fork to get crystals. Dairy products will never be added, the main idea of this refreshing dessert is to be fresh and VERY light, perfect to finish some too greasy food, like an osso buco or an lasagna.

What´s the difference between granita, sorbet, slush and ice cream?

In granitas the size of the crystals varies according to taste, but they are more “noticeable” than in a sorbet and less than in a slush (which is made from crushed ice to which a flavoring is added) Ice cream is a broader category that includes all of the above and also all versions with dairy (which the others do not usually include)

Substitutions and variants:

So as you can see, this recipe is a base for you to prepare to your taste, for example a granita made of lemon and mint, or coffee with touches of cinnamon or orange peel.

You can make it with alcohol, like limoncello, prosecco, gin or vodka, simply adding it before freezing, I recommend not adding more than one third of the volume of liquor of the volume of the granita. Bt if you really want a cocktail, look this summer cocktail recipes.

How would you like to prepare yours?

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Lemon granita

This lemon granita is absolutely delicious, super fresh and very easy to make. We could also prepare it with oranges, tangerines or grapefruits.

Course Dessert, icecream

Cuisine Italian

Keyword easy lemon ice cream, lemn icecream, lemon granita, lemon ice, lemon ice cream, lemon icecream, lemon icecream without icecream maker, lemon snow

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Frozen 3 hours

Servings 2 cups

Calories 240kcal

Cost Low

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons granulated white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup lemon juice without seeds or pulp
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

• In a small pot combine the sugar with the water, heat over medium heat, and cook until it begins to boil, stirring occasionally for the sugar to dissolve.
• Turn off the heat and let cool, refrigerate until the syrup is completely cold.
• Mix the cold syrup well, with the juice and lemon zest.
• Put the mixture into a bowl (I prefer it to be glass) and take it to the freezer.
• Every 20 minutes stir the granita until it is completely frozen (it should take between 2 and 3 hours)
• With a fork scrape the granita so that it has a texture similar to snow.
• We serve immediately and enjoy!