A summer delight, when the strawberries are at their best. WE MAKE GRANITA!
Simple to pull together, and tastes like you spent way more time on preparing it.
Granita, course Italian style flavored ice, or ice drink. I will be sharing both ways in this recipe.
In this recipe you will make the simple syrup and, blend the fruit with it and some water, then strain it all into the glass containers.
Tools:
2 Glass containers shallow and longer, make room in your freezer now for those two containers to sit flat. You will be taking them in and out to scrape and create your “granita”
food processor or blender
fork
knife
small pot
wooden spoon (not used for anything garlic)
fine strainer
spatula
timer (for two hours every 30 minutes to scrape ice)
Ingredients:
1 pound washed and hulled strawberries
1/2 c. filtered water or tap water cold
1/4 c. sugar
4 stems lemon thyme (optional)
Method:
Wash and hull your strawberries lay out to dry. While your berries are drying, head to your stove with your small pot, water, sugar, spatula.
Make the syrup:
Heat the your water to almost boiling then add the sugar and stir until it dissolves..approx. 1-2 minutes. Lay the lemon thyme sprigs in the simple syrup liquid to infuse the flavor. Let cool, pull out thyme after 15 minutes.
Set up blender/processor, add half of the strawberries , blend.
Other half, blend. Add the simple syrup, blend. This last bend you want little to no pieces of berries. Take the time to blend again if needed. But don’t worry, we are straining so anything left that’s to big will strain out.
Yep, you guessed it, Straining time, so grab your glass containers, spatula, and whatever you blended in. Strain over you containers allowing them to be even with liquid at the end.
Set your timer:
Place uncovered in your freezer for 30 minutes. Set your timer!!!
Pull out and scrape with fork. The first two times you pull out to scrape it won’t really look like its doing anything, but it is!
so keep going… for reset timer for another 30 minutes to scrape again. Total time 2 hours so you will scrape 4 times.
If for some reason you think you need to scraper more than 4 times, go for it you Italian ice beast!
Place air tight lid on and freeze up to two weeks.
Check out my Lavender Lemon whipped cream recipe to serve at your next fancy dinner party..or dinner for the fam!
Pro Tips:
Add vodka to it for the adults, by the pool or after dinner
Add fresh whipped cream for a creamy frozen treat
Play with different berries and herbs to recreate this but keep it fresh!
Liv to Eat
Sarah