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Watermelon granita recipe

In summer we can usually buy cheap watermelons (I am yet to master growing them myself, I think I am missing the key ingredient - water), but usually we can't eat the whole thing.  I like to make granita.  Granita is like a chunky form of sorbet.  I use less sugar than most recipes and I just blend the whole watermelon (rather than juicing it), so you get all the fibre.  I also put in some ginger, lemon and herbs (mint, lemon balm and winter tarragon).  Pete thought that it tasted too "herby", but I think it complements the watermelon and I love to use my herbs.  On a hot summer's day, I'm glad to have some real-food granita to cool me down, rather than a sugary, artificial ice block.

eight acres: real food watermelon granita recipe

I use our handchurn ice cream maker, it takes about 20 minutes to make 1 litre from pre-chilled mixture, but if you don't have an ice cream machine you can just put it straight in the freezer and scrape the sides down every half hour.

Watermelon Granita

  • Cut up your watermelon and put as many chunks into your blender as you can
  • Blend the watermelon with the juice of a lemon or lime, a chunk of ginger and herbs to taste, also I use one tablespoon of sugar per litre, as this seem so help it crystalise better, but you could experiment with how much sugar you need.
  • If you're going to use an icecream machine, either chill the watermelon before cutting, or chill the mixture before churning.  If you are just going to use the freezer, put the mixture in a bowl or dish that will fit in your freezer.  Churn or scrape the side of your dish until you reach the right texture.  
eight acres: real food watermelon granita recipe
ingredients

eight acres: real food watermelon granita recipe
the finished granita

This is delicious even before its properly frozen, I don't mind drinking it by the cup full.  Do you make granita?  How do you keep cool in summer?

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Comments

  1. selinaJanuary 12, 2015 at 8:55 AM

    g'day
    am sure that is nice, i don't like watermelon, so don't eat it, i'm one of those weird people who still drinks hot tea throughout the hot summer months with water inbetween :))
    have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sunnybrook FarmJanuary 12, 2015 at 9:53 PM

    That looks so good and gave me a craving of watermelon but many months until we get fresh ones.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJanuary 19, 2015 at 8:35 PM

      well this is one way to preserve a bit of summer (if its not too cold to eat an icy desert!)

      Delete

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