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Home » Watermelon Granita Italian Ice

Watermelon Granita Italian Ice

August 29, 2018 21 Comments


watermelon granita italian ice

Americans, such as myself, have long enjoyed ‘snow cones’ during the hot summers of childhood.   ‘Slushees’ have also been a fun frozen treat.  And in Hawaii, the locals love ‘shaved ice’.

I guess it comes as no surprise, that Italians have their own unique-textured, flavored fruity ice treats.

GRANITA!

If you’re going to Italy, put this on your must-try list.  And make sure that you try a few along the nail-biting cliffs of Amalfi, where the freshest of citrus ingredients infuse the ice!  Where you can find a sharp turn with a ‘look-out’ place to stop, there is usually a local person selling granita along with other fresh fruits and vegetables.

Lemon is the most popular of all Italian ices and what I loved when I visited Amalfi.  When it’s boiling outside on a hot summer’s day, there are few frozen treats that can top the tangy and revitalizing taste of lemon.

Granita is an Italian frozen ice mixture made from fruit, fruit juices, purées, sugar, and possibly other additional natural flavors.  It is neither an American snow cone or an Hawaiian shaved ice where the ice crystals have flavored syrups poured on top; the fruit or puree/juice are added before freezing and are part of the process of producing the granita.   It’s related to sorbet, but is uniquely distinct by its coarse, crystalline texture and contains no egg or dairy ingredients.

You can find granita all over Italy, but how it is prepared, and thus its texture, varies from city to city.   In some places, such as Palermo, the granita has a coarse texture versus the smooth sorbet-like granita served in other places.   The coarser versions are frozen first, as I do in my kitchen, and then scraped.  Scraping causes the ice crystals to separate whereas the smoother version is made in a gelato machine.

Common and traditional flavoring ingredients include freshly-squeezed lemon juice, oranges, cherries, raspberries, wild strawberries and mulberries, watermelon, coffee, almonds, and mint.  Coffee-flavor infused granita can be found in Messina, and you can even find some fantastic chocolate granite in Catania.

As you can see in the photo below from my trip to the Amalfi Coast, it is served simply in a small plastic or paper cup with a tiny spoon.
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watermelon granita Italian ice
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If nothing else, the brilliant rose-pink-red color of a fresh watermelon is so PRETTY!

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watermelon granita Italian ice..

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Fill the entire blender with chunks of watermelon (above photo).

watermelon granita Italian ice

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squeeze a little bit (not a lot) of one lime wedge into the blender

watermelon granita Italian ice

add about ½ cup of sugar

watermelon granita italian ice

give everything a whirl for a few seconds

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watermelon granita italian ice

pour pureed watermelon mixture into a baking pan . . . place in freezer overnight

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watermelon granita italian ice..

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the next day, using a fork, scrape all of the granita (above photo)

watermelon granita italian ice
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lemon granita enjoyed while driving along the steep cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, Italy

lemon granita enjoyed while driving along the steep cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, Italy

watermelon granita italian ice

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Watermelon Granita Italian Ice

Watermelon Granita Italian Ice

Ingredients

  • ⅓ to ½ fresh watermelon, rind removed, sliced, and cut into cubes
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 slice of lime, squeezed

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender.
  2. Give everything a whirl for about 30 - 60 seconds.
  3. Pour mixture into a baking pan.
  4. Lay flat inside a freezer and freeze overnight.
  5. Next day, take a fork and scrape the entire frozen mixture.
  6. Place the granita in small pretty cups or pretty glassware
© Roz

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Previous Post: « Italian Summer Vegetable Salad
Next Post: Italian Peach Crumb Cake with Streusel Topping »

Reader Interactions

 

I read each and every comment and respond to questions asap, so ask away!  As I always say, “If you’ve made a recipe, please take a photo and I’ll be happy to share your experience and photo of the recipe with all of us in this blog community!”

The kindness of giving a thumbs up 5-star rating is greatly appreciated!

~ Roz

Comments

  1. [email protected] Gluten Free A-Z Blog says

    July 15, 2015 at 8:28 PM

    Roz,
    This is going on my To Make list .. It looks so beautiful and I can just imagine how refreshing it is on a hot humid day! There is nothing more refreshing than watermelon. Thanks for a great idea!

    Reply
    • Roz says

      October 4, 2015 at 7:48 PM

      Watermelon is always such a sweet, cold treat . . . I love it year-round!
      Roz

      Reply
  2. [email protected]'s Recipes says

    July 16, 2015 at 6:31 AM

    I wish I had picked up a watermelon this morning when I was in ALDI. This granita looks totally refreshing.

    Reply
    • Roz says

      October 4, 2015 at 6:43 PM

      Thank you Angie . . . granita is always a refreshing way to end a meal or for a simple afternoon treat!
      Roz

      Reply
  3. Shari Kelley says

    July 17, 2015 at 12:19 AM

    Oh my, Roz! Your pictures are a sight for sore desert eyes! So beautiful! I absolutely love anything icy. I didn’t really know what a granita was so am glad to find out about it. The ingredients and method sound just like my popsicle recipes only poured into a pan, frozen, and scraped instead. I can see why it would be easy to scrape it with a fork as my popsicles made with fresh fruit were very soft and easy to bite. Thanks so much for this recipe. I look forward to making my first granita!

    Reply
    • Roz says

      October 4, 2015 at 7:50 PM

      Next summer, I’ve got to try to make homemade (non-KoolAid) popsicles such as the ones that you inspired me to make! There’s nothing like the refreshment that comes from fruit in a frozen treat!
      Roz

      Reply
  4. Mindy says

    July 17, 2015 at 1:56 AM

    It’s beautiful!

    Reply
    • Roz says

      October 4, 2015 at 7:39 PM

      Thanks Mindy, It’s always fun to try new ways of presentation. I need to use martini glasses more often!
      Roz

      Reply
  5. Claudia says

    July 17, 2015 at 6:00 PM

    This is so perfect for July. (I can eat 1/2 a watermelon on a hot day…. and do). It’s so easy to make – putting it on my list. Love the simplicity and how it refreshes. Plus – it’s pretty!

    Reply
    • Roz says

      October 4, 2015 at 7:38 PM

      Thanks so much for stopping by Claudia; I always enjoy hearing from you!

      Reply
  6. Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction says

    July 17, 2015 at 9:54 PM

    Roz,
    I can’t describe how much I love watermelon. This looks so good. We had a couple of cooler days but it’s going to be hazy, hot and humid the next few days, so this will be so refreshing.
    Hope you’re doing well.
    Annamaria

    Reply
    • Roz says

      October 4, 2015 at 7:54 PM

      I’m with you on the ‘love of watermelon’ Annamaria! It’s nice that watermelon is available year-round, but obviously not from local sources. I still love it any time!
      Roz

      Reply
  7. Daniela says

    July 19, 2015 at 8:07 AM

    La granita di anguria deve essere dissetante e rinfrescante, ottima per questo caldo estivo 🙂
    Un bacio!

    Reply
    • Roz says

      October 4, 2015 at 7:58 PM

      Sì , è stata una estate molto calda anche qui , Daniela . E ora stiamo godendo i giorni freddi dell’autunno . Sono sicuro che è bello in Italia in autunno ! Un bacio , Roz

      Yes, it was a very hot summer here too, Daniela. And now we are enjoying the cool days of autumn. I am sure it is beautiful in Italy in autumn! A kiss, Roz

      Reply
  8. Susan says

    July 19, 2015 at 2:55 PM

    I love that first photo! What a delicious idea for a hot summer day. Gotta try this one!

    Reply
    • Roz says

      October 4, 2015 at 6:42 PM

      Thanks Susan! Please let me know if you try this recipe!
      Roz

      Reply
  9. Liz says

    July 20, 2015 at 9:00 PM

    Watermelon is such a delightful granita flavor–perfect way to beat the heat!

    Reply
    • Roz says

      October 4, 2015 at 6:28 PM

      Granita is so refreshing — I should make it more often. So nice to hear from you Liz!
      Roz

      Reply
  10. CC says

    June 21, 2016 at 7:54 AM

    Looks delicious! How long will the watermelon granita keep in the freezer once you have scraped it? Can this be made ahead of time and stored for a few days?

    Reply
    • Roz says

      August 1, 2016 at 9:58 PM

      Hi CC,

      Watermelon granita can stay in the freezer for as long as you like . . . isn’t that wonderful? It’s not like ice cream at all. It’s basically “ICE”, with a watermelon flavor and keeps as long as you like.

      Thanks so much for such a GREAT question, CC! I hope that my answer is helpful to you!

      Grazie,
      Roz
      La Bella Vita Cucina

      Reply
  11. mjskitchen says

    August 29, 2018 at 10:20 PM

    Oh YUM!!!! Usually I blend and then just drink it. Love the idea and freezing it into a granita.

    Reply

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Welcome!

Welcome!

Ciao, I'm Roz!
From my family's kitchens and restaurants in the U.S. and Italy, I share classic, delicious recipes . . . and always served with 'amore'! I'll help you master the art of cooking with easy to follow instructions and cooking tips. Get ready for the compliments! Buon Appetito!

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