Cool down with a Watermelon Mint Granita

Weather has been playing hide and seek these days – sunny, warm and rainy, cold and foggy but today is a beautiful day. I decided to post something flavorful and refreshing. The combination of summer, and gorgeous red inspired me to make watermelon mint granita. A granita is a traditional Italian dessert of pureed fresh fruit, sugar, and water that is semi-frozen and then scraped or shaved. This is super easy and it only requires five ingredients and is made without cooking. No pots and pans to clean up and no curry to cook. We only need a fork and a freezer-safe container (one with a wide surface area for even freezing). The color is gorgeous red, and the taste hmmmm amazing, deep and with fresh flavor.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb seedless watermelon, cubed (this will yield 4-5 cups of fruit)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Mint 12-15 leaves

Directions:

Place the watermelon chunks and mint in the bowl of a blender or a food processor and blend on high speed until very smooth.
Transfer the watermelon mint puree to a mixing bowl and add the sugar and lime juice.
Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a baking dish. Freeze for one or two hours, and then begin the process of lightly scraping the top, frozen layer. Return pan to freezer with the shaved ice on top; remove a couple of hours later and continue scraping until the consistency is “snowy” when scraped with a fork or spoon, at least 5-6 hours. Then scoop into bowls or dessert glasses with some mint leaves and serve.

Notes:
It can be made 2-3 days ahead. Cover tightly and keep frozen. Give it a quick scrape before serving.
A watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water by weight and is a great source of vitamin C as well.
You can add ginger instead of mint. The ginger adds extra sparkle to this refreshing and a fun treat.