You’ll want this for any scorching day.
Proof: there should be a picture of granita here, but… umm, it was gone in a flash. Use the same recipe for honeydew and other melons. Using an actual ice cream maker will give you a smoother sorbet, but that takes planning. This is ready to go in the freezer in five minutes, with no pre-freezing needed. You can also use the frozen mixture in any state of frozen-ness, such as adding it to seltzer, tonic, or mixed drinks.
Serves: 4–6
Ingredients
- 1 medium ripe cantaloupe (about 4 cups flesh, cubed)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Fresh mint leaves (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Make syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, stir in lemon zest. Let cool.
- Prepare melon: Cut cantaloupe in half, remove seeds, and cube flesh. Purée in a blender until smooth.
- Combine: Add cooled syrup (strain out zest if you prefer a smooth granita) and lemon juice to the melon purée. Blend briefly to combine. Taste — add more sugar or lemon if needed, depending on the melon’s sweetness.
- Freeze: Pour mixture into a shallow baking dish—place in freezer.
- After 30–45 minutes, stir with a fork to break up crystals.
- Repeat scraping every 30 minutes for 3–4 hours until fluffy and icy.
- Serve: Fluff granita with a fork, scoop into chilled glasses, and garnish with mint sprigs.
Note about melon prep: Many people have reactions to the melon skin because the netted texture can harbor some naturally occurring fungi. Typically, growers rinse the melons in boiling water before they reach the market. A great way to be sure there’ll be no scratchy throats: cut off all of the rind of the melon with a sharp knife while the melon is whole. THEN, wash the melon and the knife before cutting into the melon and removing the seeds.
