SHF: Strawberry Lemonade Granita

It’s been hot this summer. Hot. Plus, being 33 weeks pregnant in July is like having your own personal furnace running on high 24/7, so I was thrilled to see that this month’s Sugar High Friday theme was ice. How timely and appropriate!

I love this lemonade recipe from Food & Wine Magazine. It is very refreshing and makes a nice elegant drink for summer parties. So of course I couldn’t resist the idea of making it into granita. I just put the strained mixture into a glass pan and then froze and whisked it a couple times.

The original lemonade recipe says to serve it over ice, which I highly recommend. Even after straining, the drink is still somewhat thick, so the melting ice helps to get it to just the right consistency for sipping.

I can prep the lemonade in about 20 minutes, even with two little boys demanding my attention, so don’t let the equipment list daunt you. The recipe calls for fresh strawberries, but you can substitute frozen, which I have found to be a nice time-saving trick. Just thaw the berries in the bag and pour them into the food processor, liquid and all. No cleaning or cutting required. The recipe makes about 1-1/2 quarts of lemonade and a 9×13 pan of granita.

Equipment

1 quart sauce pan
lemon zester
juicer or reamer
3 quart metal bowl
5 quart metal bowl
small sharp knife
food processor
mesh strainer
2 quart pitcher or 9×13 glass pan

Ingredients

32 ounces (~1 liter) water
1 cup (175 g) granulated sugar
3 large lemons, zest removed in long strips, lemons juiced
16 ounces (454 g) fresh strawberries, quartered (or frozen strawberries, no sugar added)
2 cups ice cubes

Preparation

1. LEMONADE: In the saucepan, combine 2 cups (480 ml) of water, sugar, and the lemon zest and bring to a simmer, stirring.

2. Pour ice cubes into the large metal bowl and cover with water. Set the smaller bowl into the ice water. Pour the syrup into the smaller bowl, and stir in the remaining 2 cups of water and the lemon juice. Stir occasionally, until chilled, about 10 minutes.

3. Puree the strawberries in a food processor, then stir into the lemonade. Set the strainer over the top of the pitcher and slowly pour in the mixture. You can use a spoon or spatula to gently stir the puree, or you can swirl the puree gently around the strainer, but don’t push the puree through the strainer. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes to thoroughly strain out the juices, then discard the pulp. (Stop here if you are making lemonade. Serve over ice.)

4. GRANITA: Pour the strained mixture into a 9×13 pan. Freeze until the mixture is starting to get icy around the edges. Whisk and distribute the frozen bits evenly. Freeze another 40 minutes, until the overall texture is slushy. Whisk again, and then freeze until solid, about 3 hours. Scrape with a fork down the length of the pan and scoop into bowls or parfait glasses.

Variations

I’ve seen similar recipes that substitute some champagne or vodka for some of the water, which of course would make this even more festive and elegant. Reduce water to 2-1/2 cups (600 ml) of water. Stir in 1-1/2 cups (360 ml) of champagne or vodka after the lemon syrup has cooled.
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Source: adapted from Food & Wine Magazine, August 2003 (recipe by Janie Hibler, from “Berries”)