Lemon Granita

Name: Lemon Granita
Prep time: 24 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 29 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Sicilian
Ingredients: 2 cups (480 ml) water, cold; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon (6 g) lemon zest, finely grated from about 3 unwaxed lemons, yellow part only (no white pith); 1 cup (240 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed from 5–6 large lemons, seeds removed; ⅛ teaspoon (0.7 g) fine salt, a small pinch (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A bright, tart Sicilian-style granita made with fresh lemon juice and zest. Scraping it with a fork as it freezes gives you light, fluffy, snow-like crystals. It needs only four ingredients and a shallow pan.

Prep: 24 min
Cook: 5 min
Wait: 3 hr 15 min
Total: 3 hr 44 min
Makes: About 4 cups (6 servings of ⅔ cup / 160 ml each)

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Steps

Before you start

Clear a flat spot in your freezer for a 9×13-inch pan. The pan must sit level or the granita will freeze unevenly.
Zest the lemons before you juice them. Zesting a squeezed lemon is much harder.
Plan on about 3½ hours from start to finish. You only need to be hands-on for a few minutes every 30 minutes during freezing.
Chill the 9×13-inch pan and a dinner fork in the freezer while the syrup cools. A cold pan helps the edges freeze sooner.

1
Zest and juice lemons
- Wash and dry 5–6 large lemons.
- Finely grate the yellow part of the peel from 3 of them to get 1 tablespoon (6 g) of zest, and set it aside.
- Cut all the lemons in half and squeeze them.
- Strain the juice through a sieve to remove seeds and pulp.
- Measure 1 cup (240 ml) of juice and refrigerate it.
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Ready when: You have 1 tablespoon of zest and 1 cup of seed-free juice.
Tip: Avoid the white pith under the peel. It tastes bitter.
2
Make lemon syrup
- In a small saucepan, combine the 2 cups (480 ml) water, 1 cup (200 g) sugar and the zest.
- Set over medium heat and stir often.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, then simmer for 2 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat.
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Ready when: The sugar has dissolved completely and the liquid is clear, with no gritty crystals when you stir.
Tip: Don't boil it hard. Too much evaporation makes the syrup sweeter and the granita softer.
3
Cool the syrup
- Leave the syrup in the pan on the counter for 30 minutes so the zest can infuse it.
- Stir once or twice.
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Ready when: The syrup is lukewarm or at room temperature.
Tip: Hot syrup would warm the juice and dull its fresh flavor.
4
Combine and season
- Stir the chilled lemon juice and the pinch of salt (if using) into the cooled syrup.
- Taste it.
- It should taste a little too sweet and too tart, because freezing dulls both flavors.
- If it tastes flat, add 1 tablespoon more juice.
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Ready when: The mixture is evenly cloudy yellow and tastes intensely sweet-tart.
Tip: Don't add more sugar after freezing starts. A mix that is too sugary won't freeze into crystals.
5
Chill the mixture
- Pour the mixture into a bowl or leave it in the saucepan.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- At the same time, put the 9×13-inch pan and a fork in the freezer.
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Ready when: The mixture is cold to the touch.
6
Pour and start freezing
- Set the cold pan on a level freezer shelf and pour the mixture into it.
- It should be about ½ inch (1.25 cm) deep.
- Freeze, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
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Ready when: A frozen rim about ½ inch (1.25 cm) wide has formed around the edges, and the center is still slushy.
Tip: Carry the pan with both hands to avoid spilling. Level the shelf with a folded towel if needed.
7
First scrape
- Take the pan out of the freezer.
- Use the chilled fork to scrape the frozen edges toward the center.
- Break up any large chunks and stir the icy and slushy parts together.
- Return the pan to the freezer for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: The mixture looks like a coarse, wet slush with ice shards.
Tip: Work quickly so the ice doesn't melt.
8
Second scrape
- Scrape the whole pan again, raking the fork across the surface and breaking up any frozen clumps into small flakes.
- Spread the flakes in an even layer, then return the pan to the freezer for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: The granita is mostly frozen, with a few wet spots remaining.
9
Third scrape
- Scrape vigorously, pressing the fork against the bottom and sides of the pan to loosen frozen patches, until the whole pan is made of separate, fluffy crystals.
- Spread the flakes into an even layer and freeze for 30 more minutes.
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Ready when: There are no liquid pockets, and the crystals are loose and dry.
Tip: If the granita ever freezes solid, let it stand at room temperature for 5–10 minutes, then scrape it again.
10
Fluff and serve
- Scrape the granita one last time until it looks like fluffy snow.
- Spoon about ⅔ cup (160 ml) into each of 6 chilled bowls or glasses, and serve right away.
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Ready when: The granita is light, feathery and sparkly, with no big chunks.
Tip: Serve in chilled glasses. Granita melts fast at room temperature.

Good to know

Tips

Use a shallow, wide pan. A thin layer of liquid freezes faster and forms finer crystals.
Use fresh lemons, not bottled juice. Fresh juice has a brighter, cleaner taste.
If you forget to scrape and it freezes solid, let it thaw for 10 minutes and break it up with a fork. You can also pulse it in a food processor in short bursts.
Wait to scrape until a ½-inch rim has frozen. Scraping too early just stirs the liquid and doesn't make crystals.

Make ahead

"Make the syrup and juice mixture up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the granita fully up to 1 day ahead. Scrape it again before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: it melts within 10 minutes, so don't store it there. Refrigerator: not suitable. Freezer: cover the pan tightly and freeze for up to 1 week. It will set into a solid block, so let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes, then scrape it with a fork until fluffy again. Re-scraped granita is a little coarser than freshly made."

Substitutions

fresh lemon juice → Fresh lime, blood orange or grapefruit juice. Use the same volume. Sweeter juices like orange may need 2–3 tablespoons less sugar.
granulated sugar → Honey or agave syrup. Use ¾ cup (255 g) honey in place of the sugar. The flavor will be floral and the texture slightly softer.
lemon zest → Strips of lemon peel. Simmer 4–5 wide peel strips in the syrup, then remove them before mixing in the juice. The flavor is slightly milder.
water → Sparkling water. Add it to the cooled syrup after the juice, and stir gently. The granita will be slightly lighter.