Fresh Strawberry Granita Recipes

STRAWBERRY GRANITA

Steps:

• To make the sugar syrup, combine 3/4 cup water and 4 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• Place half the strawberries in a blender with the sugar syrup, lemon juice, and vodka, if using. Puree. Transfer to a fine mesh sieve and press on puree, pushing the pulp through. Discard seeds remaining in sieve.
• Pour mixture into a shallow 8-inch square pan. Freeze 2 to 3 hours, or until almost completely frozen. Scrape granita with a fork to make it flaky. Freeze for another hour and scrape again. When ready to serve, scrape again.
• About 30 minutes before serving, quarter remaining strawberries lengthwise and transfer to a bowl. Add remaining tablespoon sugar, pepper, and vinegar; mash slightly with a fork, keeping mixture chunky. Add basil.
• To serve, scrape some granita into 4 glasses and top with smashed strawberries.

STRAWBERRY-ROSE GRANITA

Steps:

• Put the hulled strawberries in a bowl and set aside. Cut off and discard the tops of the 12 large strawberries and trim the bottoms so that they sit upright. Use a small melon baller to scoop out the inside of each strawberry to make a small cup, adding the scooped flesh to the bowl with the hulled strawberries. Wrap and store the berry cups in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
• Combine the rose, sugar and bowl of strawberries and scooped flesh in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8-inch square metal pan. Freeze 3 to 4 hours, scraping the mixture with a fork every hour to make it slushy. Wrap and freeze until ready to serve. The granita can be made a day ahead and stored overnight.
• Working in batches, remove the strawberry cups from the refrigerator and fill with a spoonful of the granita, mound some more on top and top with a sprig of mint. Store the assembled granita cups in the freezer while assembling the remaining cups to prevent them from melting.

STRAWBERRIES WITH BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Make simple syrup: Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• Bring 1 cup of the simple syrup, the juice and wine to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Carefully transfer to a blender, add the basil and pulse until smooth (leave the filler cap off to let steam escape). Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8-inch square metal pan. Freeze 3 to 4 hours, scraping the mixture with a fork every 20 minutes to make it slushy; freeze until ready to serve.
• Cut off the tops of the strawberries and trim the bottoms so that they sit upright. Using a small melon baller, scoop out the inside of each strawberry to make a small cup. Fill with a spoonful of the granita.
• Serve immediately.
• Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine

FRESH STRAWBERRY GRANITA

Steps:

• Stir first 3 ingredients in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Blend 3 cups strawberries in processor until smooth. Add sugar syrup and blend until combined.
• Pour mixture into 13x9x2-inch nonstick metal baking pan. Freeze until icy around edges, about 25 minutes. Using fork, stir icy portions into middle of pan. Freeze until mixture is frozen, stirring edges into center every 20 to 30 minutes, about 1 1/2 hours. Using fork, scrape granita into flaky crystals. Cover tightly and freeze. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.) Scrape granita into bowls. Garnish with berries and serve.

STRAWBERRY & MINT GRANITA

Steps:

• Put the sugar and 100ml water in a medium saucepan over a low heat, and stir now and again until the sugar dissolves. Don't let the syrup boil.
• Meanwhile, tip the strawberries into a food processor and blend to a purée. Pour into the sugar syrup with the mint leaves and turn up the heat. Simmer for about 5 mins until the mixture thickens slightly. Once thickened, strain through a fine sieve to get rid of any seeds and leaves. Allow to cool for 15 mins.
• Pour into a container and freeze for 1 hr, then rake the top layer with a fork and put back in the freezer. Repeat every hour for the next 4 hrs until the mix becomes a crystallised slush. Serve in glasses with a sprig of mint on top.