Granita and Shaved Ice
Cooking Skills: Ice Cream 2
Chapter 2 · Granita and Shaved Ice
Skill goal
Freeze and scrape four granitas and balance sugar and flavour so the crystals stay light.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A granita is a flavoured ice, scraped into crystals. Unlike ice cream or sorbet it is not churned or blended smooth: it is frozen in a shallow tin and scraped with a fork, which makes a light, coarse, sparkling texture. It is simple and cheap and needs no machine.
The method
- Use a shallow metal tin: a thin layer (about 2 cm) freezes quickly and scrapes easily.
- Sweeten it: the sugar lowers the freezing point so the crystals stay light and not rock hard. About 100 g sugar to 500 ml of liquid is a good start.
- Scrape every 30 minutes, pulling the frozen edges into the middle with a fork.
- Serve at once, in cold glasses: a granita left alone turns into a block.
- Strong flavours work best: lemon, coffee, watermelon and mint hold up to freezing.
| Granita | Liquid | Sugar (rough guide) | Acid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon | 100 ml juice and 400 ml water | 100 g | Already sharp |
| Coffee | 300 ml strong coffee | 60 g | None needed |
| Watermelon | 600 g fruit, blended | 40 g | 2 tbsp lime juice |
| Mint and lime | 400 ml water, 100 ml lime juice | 100 g | Lime juice |
Hot syrup, fruit and keeping
Sugar syrup: stir equal weights of sugar and water in a pan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves and simmer for 1 minute, then cool completely. Keep the pan handle turned in: hot syrup scalds badly.Fruit: wash fresh fruit before use. If you use frozen fruit, check the pack: frozen berries should be heated until boiling and simmered for a minute before using cold (general UK advice).
Keeping granita: granita is at its best the day it is made and goes into a solid block if stored. It keeps for up to about 2 days in a covered tin at -18°C: scrape it up again with a fork before serving.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Lemon granita
A granita is the lightest of all frozen desserts: a pile of sweet, icy crystals, sharp and refreshing. A syrup is simply sugar dissolved in water, as for the sorbets in Cooking Skills: Ice Cream 1, chapter 4, but here it is scraped, not churned.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 100 ml lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- 100 g caster sugar
- 400 ml water, divided
- 1 strip of lemon zest
- Heat the sugar with 100 ml of the water and the zest until dissolved, then simmer for 1 minute. Cool completely and take out the zest.
- Stir in the lemon juice and the rest of the water. Taste: it should be sweet and sharp. Pour into a shallow tin so it is about 2 cm deep.
- Freeze for 30 minutes, until ice has formed at the edges. Scrape the edges into the middle with a fork. Return to the freezer.
- Scrape every 30 minutes, 3 or 4 times in all (about 2 to 3 hours), until you have a pile of fluffy crystals. Serve at once.
Hot syrup, the tin and keeping
Sugar syrup: stir equal weights of sugar and water in a pan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves and simmer for 1 minute, then cool completely. Keep the pan handle turned in: hot syrup scalds badly.The tin: use a shallow metal or freezer-safe plastic tin (a baking dish about 5 cm deep). Don't put a glass dish straight from the hot hob into the freezer, because it can crack.
Keeping granita: granita is at its best the day it is made and goes into a solid block if stored. It keeps for up to about 2 days in a covered tin at -18°C: scrape it up again with a fork before serving.
Level 1 · Classic
Coffee granita
A Sicilian summer classic: bitter-sweet coffee ice with a spoonful of cream. Dissolve the sugar in the hot coffee, cool it fully, then freeze and scrape.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 300 ml strong freshly made coffee (decaf if you like)
- 60 g caster sugar
- 100 ml double cream, softly whipped, to serve (optional)
- Stir the sugar into the hot coffee until dissolved and cool completely. Taste: it should be a little too sweet.
- Pour into a shallow tin, freeze for 30 minutes and scrape with a fork. Repeat every 30 minutes for about 3 hours.
- Serve in cold glasses with a spoonful of lightly whipped cream.
Hot coffee, caffeine and keeping
Coffee: use decaffeinated coffee for children and for evening dessert.The tin: use a shallow metal or freezer-safe plastic tin (a baking dish about 5 cm deep). Don't put a glass dish straight from the hot hob into the freezer, because it can crack.
Keeping granita: granita is at its best the day it is made and goes into a solid block if stored. It keeps for up to about 2 days in a covered tin at -18°C: scrape it up again with a fork before serving.
Level 2 · Fruit
Watermelon granita
Watermelon is mostly water, so it freezes into big, hard ice crystals unless it is sweetened and stirred. A little sugar and lime juice improve both taste and texture.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 600 g ripe seedless watermelon flesh, cubed
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 40 g caster sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- Heat the sugar with the water until dissolved. Cool. Blend the watermelon until completely smooth and press through a sieve to remove any seeds.
- Stir in the cooled syrup and lime juice and taste. Pour into a shallow tin.
- Freeze, scraping with a fork every 30 minutes for about 3 hours.
Fruit, hot syrup and knives
Fruit: wash fresh fruit before use. If you use frozen fruit, check the pack: frozen berries should be heated until boiling and simmered for a minute before using cold (general UK advice).Sugar syrup: stir equal weights of sugar and water in a pan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves and simmer for 1 minute, then cool completely. Keep the pan handle turned in: hot syrup scalds badly.
Knife safety: cut on a stable board (a damp cloth underneath) and tuck your guiding fingertips back (the claw). Cut a banana or mango in a way that gives a flat side to rest on.
Keeping granita: granita is at its best the day it is made and goes into a solid block if stored. It keeps for up to about 2 days in a covered tin at -18°C: scrape it up again with a fork before serving.
Level 3 · Infusion
Mint and lime granita
Mint steeped in hot syrup tastes clean and fresh with sharp lime. Infuse for 10 minutes only, then strain, or the mint turns bitter.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1 handful mint sprigs (about 10)
- 100 g caster sugar
- 400 ml water
- 100 ml lime juice (about 4 limes)
- 1 lime, in thin slices, to serve
- Heat the sugar and 200 ml of the water until dissolved. Take off the heat, add the mint, push it under and leave for 10 minutes. Strain and cool.
- Stir in the lime juice and the rest of the water. Taste and adjust.
- Freeze in a shallow tin, scraping every 30 minutes for about 3 hours. Serve with a slice of lime.
Hot syrup and keeping
Sugar syrup: stir equal weights of sugar and water in a pan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves and simmer for 1 minute, then cool completely. Keep the pan handle turned in: hot syrup scalds badly.The tin: use a shallow metal or freezer-safe plastic tin (a baking dish about 5 cm deep). Don't put a glass dish straight from the hot hob into the freezer, because it can crack.
Keeping granita: granita is at its best the day it is made and goes into a solid block if stored. It keeps for up to about 2 days in a covered tin at -18°C: scrape it up again with a fork before serving.
Experiments
Experiment
Sugar amount
Too little, right, too much.
- Make three small batches of lemon granita with 50 g, 100 g and 150 g of sugar to the same amount of liquid. Freeze and scrape each the same way.
Look for: The low-sugar granita freezes into hard, coarse ice. The high-sugar one stays slushy. The middle makes light crystals. Write down what you prefer.
Experiment
Scraping frequency
Often or rarely.
- Scrape one tin every 30 minutes and another only once after 2 hours.
Look for: The often-scraped granita is a light pile of crystals. The rarely scraped one is a hard block with a few big crystals. Scraping makes granita.
Experiment
Tin shape
Shallow or deep.
- Freeze the same liquid in a shallow tin (2 cm) and in a deep bowl (6 cm). Scrape both.
Look for: The shallow tin freezes faster and scrapes into fine crystals. The deep bowl is still liquid in the middle for hours. Make the layer thin.
Experiment
Juice or purée
Clear or thick.
- Make watermelon granita with strained juice and with purée left unstrained. Compare.
Look for: Clear juice makes clear, sparkling crystals. The purée gives a thicker, slushier, more fruity result. Both are good, in different ways.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon granita | ||||
| Coffee granita | ||||
| Watermelon granita | ||||
| Mint and lime granita | ||||
| Sugar amount | ||||
| Scraping frequency | ||||
| Tin shape | ||||
| Juice or purée |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Solid block | Not scraped, or left too long | Scrape every 30 minutes; or break up and fork it before serving |
| Slushy and won't freeze | Too much sugar | Add more liquid or lemon juice; refreeze |
| Hard, coarse ice | Too little sugar | Add sugar next time |
| Bland flavour | Too weak or not enough acid | Use stronger juice and add lemon or lime |
| Bitter mint | Infused too long | Infuse for 10 minutes and strain |
| Cracked dish | Hot glass in the freezer | Cool the liquid first; use a metal tin |
Hot syrup, coffee, fruit and keeping
Sugar syrup: stir equal weights of sugar and water in a pan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves and simmer for 1 minute, then cool completely. Keep the pan handle turned in: hot syrup scalds badly.Coffee: use decaffeinated coffee for children and for evening dessert.
Fruit: wash fresh fruit before use. If you use frozen fruit, check the pack: frozen berries should be heated until boiling and simmered for a minute before using cold (general UK advice).
Keeping granita: granita is at its best the day it is made and goes into a solid block if stored. It keeps for up to about 2 days in a covered tin at -18°C: scrape it up again with a fork before serving.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can freeze and scrape a granita.
- I can balance sugar so the crystals stay light.
- I can infuse mint or other herbs in a syrup.
- I serve granita at once in cold glasses.
- I know why a shallow tin matters.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Ice Cream 2, chapter 3 is Semifreddo and Frozen Mousses: frozen desserts that need no churning.