Making lemon granita couldn’t be easier, and all you need is 3 ingredients: water, sugar and lemons. Always refreshing, lemon granita can quickly become a frosty ritual.
Lemon Granita
When the heat of the summer sun slows us down to a crawl, a reinvigorating lemon granita giveth us back the sun’s energy in full splendor. I can attest to lemon granita’s invigorating power from spending hot summers in the Mediterranean, where air conditioning is often: a granita. In fact, almost every scorching afternoon of the past summer, a little lemon granita was called in to cool us off.
Lemon is a favorite among all the flavors of granita. For refreshment, nothing comes close to lemons. Sicilians are known to eat it for breakfast with a brioche sweet bun, as well as for afternoon refreshment.
If you like lemonade, you’ll love the frosty icy version — lemon granita is essentially frozen crystals of lemonade. Naturally, it’s dairy and fat free.
Did you know? Granita, along with words like granite and pomegranate, gets it’s name from the Latin and Italian word grana (grain).
Granita Siciliana di Limone
Sicily, known among many things as the land where lemons grow, is also the land of granita.
Sicily, Snow and Sicilian Granita
Mountains such as Sicily’s Etna, a live hot volcano, have provided cooling icy refreshment for eons of hot summers. The snow has been used to chill the wine of ancient Greeks and Romans, and the fruit and flower syrup beverages, called sharbats, of the Arabs on the island.
Harvested in the winter, the compacted ice was stored within the insulating stone walls of the mountain neviere (ice houses), and was carried from the mountains in summer.
Beverages could be cooled by surrounding a container with snow and ice, they could be mixed with snow, or they could be poured on snow or shaved ice. Let there be Granita!
At one point, at least by the middle ages, Sicilians started embracing the technique of using sea salt with ice to go beyond cool, and actually freeze the wines and juices themselves. Cooled fruit beverages such as sharbat could be transformed into sorbetto (sorbet, sherbet). And the evolution of ideas, methods and machines has continued to this day — yet never straying too far.
Sicily also has a long history of exporting the harvested snow. Mules transported frozen snow from the mountains to the sea in compact form, where it was loaded on boats for export. Snow was big business.
Granita vs Sorbet
Granita is sometimes considered a sorbetto with a coarser, more granular grain than the smooth fine grain of sorbetto. However, today, with convenient modern technology, there can be a very fine line between the two.
With sorbetto, or sorbet, the size and texture of the ice crystals is controlled by churning the mixture as it freezes. With granita (traditionally), the ice crystals are left alone to form as the mixture freezes, and then broken up periodically.
Summary: Making Lemon Granita
Besides lemons, all you need to make lemon granita is a lot of water and some sugar. That’s it! Making lemon granita is easy and fun, and the work is short and sweet. Most of the time goes into cooling and freezing. In summary:
- Make a syrup with sugar and water (takes about 5 minutes), and let it cool. (And if you are in a hurry, you can make the quick version — no cook, no cool time — and go strait to step 2.)
- Squeeze lemons and combine with the syrup or sugar water. (Now you have lemonade, or limonata in Italian.)
- Freeze into granita. Here you have two choices: freeze and rake by hand, or use an icecream maker.
Making a Simple Syrup
People mix up batches of syrup for granita in different ways.
- I’ve tried: cooking up a simple syrup with a small portion of the water and all of the sugar — then waiting for it to cool before squeezing the lemons.
- I’ve tried bringing all of the water to a boil with the sugar — then waiting for it to cool. This naturally takes longer because of the larger amount of water.
- And I’ve tried no cooking and no waiting, where I simply stirred all of the water and sugar together.
Conclusion: They all work. The sugar gets dissolved — even in cold water with a couple of extra stirs. You can successfully make a nice granita whether you make a simple syrup first, or just stir everything together at once. I’ve noticed very little, if any, difference in texture, using the same quantities.
Advantage of Making a Syrup: That said, making a simple syrup for granita is very easy, and takes only a few minutes. It’s the waiting for the syrup to cool that takes some time. And that brings us to a nice advantage of making a simple syrup: you can make syrup ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, cold and ready to go. Then when you’re ready to make lemon granita, all you have do is add more cold water and squeeze the lemons.
Planning Ahead Tips for Simple Syrup
- To get a head start, make the syrup ahead of time and allow it to cool in the fridge. I like to make the syrup at least the night before, giving it time to cool overnight.
- Make more syrup than you need, and keep it on hand chilled in the refrigerator, ready to make granita next time — anytime. Quadruple the quantities, or more, and keep in a covered container.
- To keep it simple, use a 1:1 sugar-to-water ratio for the syrup. You can then add the remaining water later, according to the ratios of the recipe.
- By the way: You can use this same simple syrup for lemonade, any granita, cocktails…
Lemons
Although store-bought lemon juice will work in a time pinch, squeezing your own lemons ensures pure flavor and freshness.
- What kind of lemons? Choose the ripest, and heaviest lemons for their size, as you can. Any kind of lemons you can get will do. Fragrant Meyer lemons, mild and sweet, are a good choice if you see them at the market. Once you’ve tried pure lemon granita, you could also try mixing some lime juice into a batch.
- Squeezing lemons: A handheld citrus juicer is my choice when making just one batch of lemon granita. I have both a handheld metal press citrus juicer and the wooden kind, and find that my simple wooden citrus juicer gets more juice.
- How much lemon juice? My advice is to start mild with the lemon juice, as per the recipe, and go from there.
- Quantities are fairly flexible. If the last lemon makes a little less, or a little more juice than the recipe, don’t worry too much about the exact quantity. Go ahead and use the quantity of juice the lemon gives you, if you like.
- Pulp or no lemon pulp? The decision is up to you!
- Lemon zest – Some like to add lemon zest to the lemon juice. My husband gives it a thumbs up. And I find it quite pretty in the granita, like golden confetti. However, I often make it without, because I detect a slight harsh note in the zest that doesn’t harmonize as well — with such an icy refreshing treat — as plain lemon juice does. (Maybe it’s the strong oils of the peel or a bit of the bitter white pith.) I suggest trying it both ways. And let me know what you think.
Aromatic Variations
- Fresh Rosemary – The earthy Mediterranean flavor of rosemary pairs delightfully with lemon. The rosemary is steeped in the hot sugar syrup.
- Orange Blossom Water – A beautifully subtle addition. This is added at the same time as the lemon juice.
Sugar
I like to make a light lemon granita — not sickeningly sweet — with just enough sugar and just enough lemon, and over the top refreshment.
This recipe is just sweet enough. I’ve pretty much got it to where any less sugar wouldn’t do. But this is according to my taste.
How do you like yours? You can easily adjust the amount of sweetness and lemon to your taste and the occasion. To make a sweeter granita, try adding more sugar in 1/4 cup (50g) increments, up to 3/4 cup (150g) total (very sweet) per 3½ cups (850ml) of water.
To Keep in Mind when Adjusting the Sugar
- Freezing makes the syrup taste less sweet, especially initially. The granita starts to taste slightly sweeter after about 2 nights in the freezer, as the ice crystals begin to slowly separate from the juice.
- Sugar, besides sweetness, lowers the freezing point and reduces crystal size, which helps the granita remain workable as the lemon juice mixture freezes, and plays an important role in texture.
- Adding less sugar makes a dryer, larger grained granita.
- Adding more sugar makes a smaller crystal size, and has a softening effect on the texture of granita.
- You may also want to check out the nutrition information regarding sugar below the recipe — just as a heads up!
Freezing Granita
It is extraordinarily easy to freeze granita, whether by hand, or using an ice cream machine. Which method you use will influence timing as well as texture. An ice cream machine is fast, and will give granita a smoother, finer grained texture, more like sorbet. Making granita by hand, occasionally stirring and raking as it freezes, can give a texture truer to granita’s name.
Texture: How Do You Like Your Granita?
Here are some suggestions according to the texture you’re after.
- Slushy – by Hand or Machine
Just freeze until the consistency of a slush, and enjoy. After a night in the freezer, portion out and leave it at room temperature (keeping an eye on it!) until it thaws to the slushy consistency you like. - Coarse Grain – by Hand
The hand method is what you want for crunchy, pebbly or flaky ice, like a coarse snow cone. - Fine Grain – Ice Cream Machine
The modern granita found in Italian bars (cafés) are smoother, like a slushy sorbet, as a result of modern machines. You can get this texture with an ice cream machine at home too. (Note, it tends to harden more after a night in a cold domestic fridge.) - Fluffy, like shaved ice or powdery snow – by Hand or Machine
I discovered this after the occasional rake and stir needed to break up the ice crystals while freezing, was postponed for a long interval of time. Okay, I forgot. In this case scenario, achieving an icy bliss of powdery snow basically just requires scraping the (rock hard) ice with a strong fork. Note, this takes a little muscle work. But it’s worth it.
Note: Factors like ingredients (review sugar above) also have a hand in influencing texture.
Making Granita By Hand
My favorite way to make granita is by hand, the artisanal way. I actually love checking on my granita, stirring it, raking it, discovering how the ice crystals are taking shape, and how much the ice crystals have grown… I find it beautiful, and almost as fun to make as it is to eat!
You’ll Need
- A fork – Any solid fork will do. I find these simple blending forks are perfect for raking granita. (I actually have four because I use them for all kinds of things in the kitchen.)
- A freezer container – I like to use glass freezer containers with lids, but plastic and metal all work. If you are in a hurry, the big surface area of a lasagna pan can help speed up the freezing time.
- Time – Making granita by hand takes considerable more time than with an ice cream maker. I usually plan on it being an all-day affair (although there are ways to make it shorter), and I always find it enjoyable.
By Hand: Freezing Tips
- To give your granita a head start freezing, pre-cool the container in the freezer.
- Pour the juice into the pan to about an inch (2.5cm) deep. Split up the granita into two containers if necessary. The more surface area exposed, the faster it freezes.
- Don’t fill the container more than halfway — it will expand in volume from being stirred and raked while freezing.
- Place the granita in the coldest part of freezer (usually in the center towards the back).
By Hand: Stirring & Raking Tips
A lot of granita recipes say to stir every hour or 45 minutes. I have never found this necessary. The granita usually gets stirred when I can, or when I remember!
Depending on the ingredients, the temperature of the freezer, and how full the container is, it can take 1 to 4 hours before needing to do anything. Until you get to know your freezer, you might want to take a peak every hour.
My experience is that as long as granita, that is an inch deep in the pan, is stirred within the first 4 hours, then every hour or two, and then at least once before going to sleep, it works out fine.
However, I also forget sometimes, leaving a still slushy granita unstirred during the night. If this happens, the granita can be quite hard the next day. If you do happen to forget, or can’t get back to the stirring and raking for a while, you can still turn a brick of ice into a beautiful snowy treat. Once raked with a fork for a while, it can become wonderful and fluffy with the texture of powdered snow. But be prepared to use a little muscle strength, perhaps accompanied by a little silent cursing for not remembering.
(Or you can let it thaw to a slushy consistency again, enjoy some, and then freeze back the rest however you like.)
If you rake your granita with a fork until well frozen and crunchy, you won’t have to worry about it hardening into a rock in the freezer overnight. It will continue to stay nice and easy to serve for a over a week, perhaps with a little raking here and there.
Making Granita with an Ice Cream Maker
Using an ice cream maker is quick and easy. Just pour in the diluted chilled fruit syrup and churn for about 30 minutes. The constant churning of the mixture as it freezes will give a smooth texture closer to sorbet.
Note, using an ice cream maker will make a more compact granita with less volume, and therefore fewer servings. This means a higher concentration of sugar per serving. If you like the idea of less sugar, and more volume in each glass (making you think you are getting more!), go old-school and make it by hand.
A final consideration: while making granita in the machine initially takes less time and stirring, the fine texture of the ice crystals, produced from constant churning while freezing, creates a compact granita that freezes harder than the larger pebbly texture of hand-stirred granita — especially after a night in a typical home freezer. Depending on what texture you are after, you can just let the hard compact granita thaw to the consistency you like, or with a little more muscle work, you can scrape it with a fork into fluffy snow.
Serving Lemon Granita
- Granita looks great served in any small glass, casual or fancy, from small water glasses to stemmed coupe or martini glasses.
- I find the perfect serving size to be around 3/4 of a cup.
- For a pretty and fun bowl, serve in a carved out lemon.
- To keep the granita cold longer while eating, serve in pre-chilled glasses.
- If needed, scrape the granita with a strong fork or spoon before serving.
- Garnish with lemon zest (see below), or top with a sprig of fresh mint.
Garnish with Lemon Zest
To make lemon zest, it’s best to use organic, unwaxed/unsprayed lemons. If that’s not possible, I rinse the lemons, then rub them well with baking soda and rinse them again.
Simply grate a touch (not too much) of fine lemon zest directly over the granita, avoiding the white pith. Or, roll the zest in sugar before sprinkling on the granita, for a pretty, lightly translucent, effect.
I find that zest cut into short fine strands, or minced like confetti, makes the best granita topping. For help making a fine lemon zest, I like to use a microplane. I have one with a handle and one without a handle, and recommend the handled microplane, hands down. Tip: use the microplane upside down to hold the zest.
Ways to Enjoy Lemon Granita
- Sicilian Breakfast – Do as Sicilians love to do, and enjoy a morning granita with a brioche col tuppo (the round brioche with a topknot).
- Summer afternoon refreshment – Lemon granita is a heroic frosty thirst quencher.
- An excellent palate cleanser between savory dinner courses year-round.
- A sweet light finale to hot summer evening dinners.
- As a Texan raised on half-gallon glasses of iced tea during the hot summers, I love the idea of adding a dollop of lemon granita to iced tea, as they do in Sicily.
Recipe for Sicilian Lemon Granita
Ingredients
- 3½ cups water (1 cup (240ml) for the syrup, plus 2½ cups (590ml) for the lemon juice), ideally pre-chilled to speed up freezing time
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (around 3 to 6 medium lemons), pulp optional, strained of seeds (see notes)
Instructions
- Make Syrup – (Can be made ahead and stored in the fridge.) In a saucepan, add 1 cup (240ml) of water to the sugar and bring just to a boil. The sugar should be mostly dissolved. Take off the heat and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate if not using right away.(In a pinch for time? You can skip making the syrup and it will still be good. Just stir all of the water, sugar and lemon juice together, and go to step 3.
- Stir in the lemon juice and remaining water (2½ cups, 590ml).
- Freeze – Pour into one or more freezer proof containers (see notes). Fill no more than halfway full so they have room to expand. Cover and place in the freezer.
- Stir & Rake – After about 2 hours, check on it. Quickly scrape down any ice from the sides and rake the bottom with a fork, distributing the ice within the liquid. At this point, it may look like glaciers floating in a lake. Don't worry if they are big glaciers. (Note, depending on temperature and volume, it may take up to 3 or 4 hours before ice starts forming.)Repeat every hour or 2, until the granita becomes crisp crunchy crystals, or according to your preference. (If you like a slushy granita, see last 2 notes.) It usually needs to be raked and stirred less often at the beginning, and more often as the freezing progresses.
- To Serve, scrape the granita with a strong fork or spoon before serving, if needed. Serve in cold glasses. Garnish with a little lemon zest tossed in sugar, or a sprig of fresh mint.
Notes
- Using an Ice Cream Maker (Gives a smoother texture similar to sorbet) Pour in the chilled mixture and churn until frozen, about 30 minutes, checking on it at the 15 minute mark and, if necessary, giving it a stir with a wooden spoon to get it churning again.
- Lemon Juicing Tip: To get more juice out of them, roll the lemons on the table with pressure before juicing.
- To Make a Sweeter Granita: Try adding more sugar in 1/4 cup (50g) increments, up to 3/4 cup (150g).
- Variations:
- Zest of Lemon – Add zest of 1/2 an organic/untreated lemon (or washed well by rubbing with baking soda) to the lemon juice.
- Fresh Rosemary – Add 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves to the simple syrup after coming to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and let steep covered for approximately 10 minutes. Strain and let cool completely, then proceed as usual. To serve, garnish with rosemary sprig.
- Orange Blossom Water – Mix 1 Tbsp in with the lemon juice.
- Zest of Lemon – Add zest of 1/2 an organic/untreated lemon (or washed well by rubbing with baking soda) to the lemon juice.
- Freezer Containers: Any kind of container (metal, glass, plastic) or size will do as long as it is not filled too high, since granita will expand when raked. And the more shallow the dish is filled, the faster the granita will freeze. I often divide it into 2 (or more) containers. Ones with lids are very convenient.
- Storing: Granita stores well in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. The syrup tends to separate from the ice as time goes by.
- To help keep granita from freezing rock hard, and easier to serve the next day, be sure to keep stirring every hour or so until it is frozen into dry crystals. If you like your granita slushy, you can then let each individual serving thaw to a slushy consistency again.
- If your granita freezes rock hard, you can either let it thaw a bit before raking with a fork, or with a little more work, you can scrape it immediately into fluffy snow.
Nutrition Info: Click to Expand
Great Entrées to Serve with Lemon Granita
More Recipes to Keep Cool
- Peaches and Cream Ice Cream (No Cook)
- Cantaloupe Smoothie (1 ingredient) – A frosty and light sweet to cool you off.
- Mediterranean Lentil Salad – Make ahead and eat cool.
- Sicilian Pesto alla Trapanese – A no-cook pasta sauce.
