Lemon Granita

Instructions

1. 1

   In a medium saucepan, combine water and sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves (about 5 minutes). Do not boil.

2. 2

   Remove the simple syrup from heat and let it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

3. 3

   Zest the lemons using a microplane or fine grater, being careful to only get the yellow part, not the bitter white pith.

4. 4

   Juice enough lemons to get 1 cup (240ml) of fresh lemon juice. Strain out any seeds.

5. 5

   Once the syrup is cool, stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and a tiny pinch of salt. Mix well.

6. 6

   Pour the mixture into a shallow metal or glass baking dish (9x13 inch works well). The shallower the dish, the faster it will freeze.

7. 7

   Place the dish in the freezer. After 30 minutes, use a fork to scrape and stir the mixture, breaking up any ice crystals forming around the edges.

8. 8

   Continue freezing, scraping with a fork every 30 minutes for about 3 hours total, until the entire mixture has a light, fluffy, crystalline texture.

9. 9

   Once fully frozen and scraped into crystals, serve immediately in chilled glasses or bowls, or store covered in the freezer for up to 1 week.

10. 10

    If stored, let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and scrape again with a fork before serving to restore the fluffy texture.