Melon Granitas Recipes

MELON OR WATERMELON GRANITA

Steps:

• Add sugar and lemon to melon or watermelon juice, to correct flavor. Add liqueur.
• Pour mixture into shallow hotel pans to a depth of approximately 1/4-inch. Place in freezer. (If you pour any deeper, ice crystals will not form properly).
• When you see a layer of ice on the surface, scrape to break it up and put pan back in freezer. Continue this process until completely frozen. Final product should look like sequins.

MELON GRANITA

Steps:

• Peel, halve, and seed melons; cut into chunks and place in medium-sized bowl, reserving ½ cup of the melon chunks in another small container.
• To the reserved ½ cup of melon, add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice; toss to coat; cover and refrigerate.
• To remaining larger bowl of melon, add sugar, remaining lemon juice, lemon zest, allspice, pepper (if using) and nutmeg; toss to mix; cover and marinate melon in refrigerator for 2-12 hours.
• Strain juices from larger bowl of melon chunks into a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat and cook 1 minute; remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Combine marinated melon chunks and reduced juices in a food processor or blender; puree until smooth; pour into a bowl, cover, and chill for 2 hours.
• Pour pureed and chilled mixture into ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's directions; serve topped with reserved diced melon and fresh mint sprigs.
• NOTE: The name "granita" comes from a Spanish word meaning small grain or, by association, granular texture.

MELON GRANITA

Steps:

• Tip the sugar and 125ml/4fl oz water into a saucepan. Scrape in the vanilla seeds and put in the pod as well, then heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil for 6-8 minutes to make a sugar syrup. Leave to cool and remove the vanilla pod.
• Halve the melons, scoop out and discard the seeds, then scoop the flesh onto a board and chop to a slush with a sharp knife (or you can do this in a food processor). Mix the sugar syrup and melon slush together with the lemon juice in a large shallow baking dish. Freeze uncovered for about 1 hour until crystals form around the edges. With a fork, stir the edges into the centre and mash well, then return to the freezer until crystals form again. Stir and refreeze as often as you can (say every half an hour or so) until the granita is frozen all over - this should take about 3 hours. Fork it up roughly when you serve it.

CREAMY MELON GRANITA

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, combine melon with condensed milk, lime or lemon juice, and salt. Puree until smooth. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish; freeze until firm. Before serving, scrape with a fork until it has the texture of shaved ice.

MELON GRANITAS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat sugar with 2 tablespoons water, stirring occasionally, until dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes; set aside.
• Peel, seed, and coarsely chop melon. In a food processor, puree melon with sugar syrup until smooth (to yield about 6 cups); pour into a large, shallow dish.
• Freeze, stirring and breaking up crystals with a fork every 30 minutes, until entire mixture is frozen and crystallized, about 3 hours.