Lemon granita without ice cream maker

Name: Lemon granita without ice cream maker
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Lemon juice 2 cups; Water 2 cups; Sugar 1 cup; Mint to taste

Gluten Free
Lactose Free
Vegetarian
Vegan

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Serving: 6
Cost: Low
Note plus about 3 hours in the freezer

PRESENTATION

The Lemon Granita is one of the freshest and most thirst-quenching summer desserts, perfect to make at home even without special equipment. With our lemon granita without an ice cream maker you only need water, sugar and lemon juice, and to obtain the typical granita texture you only have to stir the mixture at regular intervals while it rests in the freezer. A simple preparation that highlights the aroma of citrus!

Serve it very cold at the end of a meal, for an afternoon snack in summer, or whenever you want something refreshing. And to avoid wasting anything, make the leftover lemon marmalade we suggest — it will be great to start the day!

If you love lemon chilled desserts, also try these:

If you are looking for other granitas, here are some not to be missed:

INGREDIENTS

Lemon juice 2 cups (500 g)

Water 2 cups (500 g)

Sugar 1 cup (200 g)

To garnish: Mint to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Lemon granita without ice cream maker

To prepare the lemon granita without an ice cream maker, pour the water into a small saucepan 1, add the granulated sugar 2 and place over heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and you have a clear syrup 3. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely: it is important that it is cold before you add it to the lemon juice.

At this point you will need about 1.7 kg of lemons (about 3 lb 12 oz). Wash them well, then cut them in half and squeeze them 1. Then strain the mixture through a sieve 2, pressing the pulp 3 to obtain about 500 g of juice (about 17 fl oz, roughly 2 cups).

Transfer the juice to a large bowl, add the completely cooled syrup 7 and mix carefully 8. Pour the mixture into a shallow, wide container 9 so that it spreads in a not-too-thick layer to encourage more even freezing.

Place the container on a tray and transfer it to the freezer. After 30 minutes take the container and stir the mixture vigorously, carefully breaking up the ice crystals that begin to form 10. Put it back in the freezer immediately. Continue in the same way every 30 minutes 11 for a total of about 3 hours, stirring each time so the granita does not freeze into a single block and you obtain its characteristic grainy texture 12.

After the 3 hours, work the granita briefly again with a spoon 13, transfer it into serving bowls decorated with mint leaves 14 and serve. Alternatively, you can cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer until ready to use.

What to do with leftover lemons? A marmalade!

Ingredients:

930 g of leftover lemons (about 2 lb 1 oz)
310 g granulated sugar (about 1 1/2 cups)

Remove the green parts of the leftover lemons where they were attached to the plant. Transfer them to a pot, cover with water and boil for 30 minutes.

Drain them, reserving a little of their cooking water, then blend them. If necessary, use a small amount of the reserved water to help with the blending.

Transfer the resulting mixture to a stainless-steel saucepan, add the sugar and stir. Cook over low heat for about 20–30 minutes, until the marmalade reaches 108 °C (226 °F).

If you prefer a smoother, more uniform texture, blend it again. Transfer the marmalade into jars and invert them, then let them cool completely.

Storage

You can store the lemon granita without an ice cream maker in the freezer for up to 15 days, in a well-sealed container. Over time it will tend to become more compact: before serving, let it soften briefly and work it with a spoon to recover the grainy texture.

Tip

To get a fragrant and balanced granita choose good-quality lemons or Sorrento lemons. If during storage the granita becomes too hard, break it into coarse pieces and process for a few moments in an ice-crushing blender or a food processor.

If you want an aromatic variation, you can add a small shot of vodka or gin to the initial mixture: besides adding flavor, the alcohol will help keep the granita slightly softer. (A shot is approximately 1 fl oz / 30 ml.)

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

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