Homemade Cherry Granita

Hello friends,

Are you an ice cream fan, or do you lean more toward those refreshing frozen fruit desserts?  Well, if you prefer frozen fruit, you will love this Homemade Cherry Granita recipe.  Made with fresh cherries.  Personally, I am a bit of both.  And I love that frozen yogurt, ohhhh gosh, can’t get enough of that frozen yogurt.

When I was a child growing up in New York, summer meant one thing: the sound of the Mr. Softee Ice Cream Truck.  The moment we heard that jingle, every kid on the block would drop whatever they were doing and run. (I put myself in that group of kids) Those memories come rushing back every time I make granita at home. 🙂 Especially when I use leftover fruit to make it bright, crunchy, and perfectly refreshing. But unlike the ice cream truck days, I make this granita in my own kitchen, using whatever leftover fruit I have on hand. Cherries, strawberries, peaches, watermelon, anything that’s a little too soft,  or a little too ripe.  Nothing goes to waste, and everything becomes something delicious.

There’s something about this frozen fruit dessert that is always the perfect treat when I’m watching tennis.  As a huge tennis fan, Rafa has always been my favorite.  And last night I actually sat down with a bowl of this granita treat and watched his documentary. Granted, it wasn’t one of those nail‑biting matches where I’m screaming at the TV.  And the bowl is seconds away from flying out of my hands, but I truly enjoyed it.

Granita is one of those really easy recipes.  Just fruit, sugar, water, and a couple of drops of fresh lemon juice. It’s the kind of recipe you can make in the afternoon, letting the freezer do the work. And when you scrape it into those beautiful icy flakes, it tastes so yummy.  There is a syrup involved in this recipe. I prepared it the day before and left it in the refrigerator overnight. If you’re using frozen cherries, there’s no need to chill the syrup for that long; just let it cool before using it.

This cherry granita is sweet, refreshing, and perfect for hot days. Serve it in glasses after dinner, or enjoy it straight from the freezer when you need a moment of cool, fruity happiness. 🙂 Here is another refreshing drink you might like to try: https://foodzesty.com/orange-mango-lime-smoothie/

Have a great morning/afternoon/evening, everyone!  🙂

Homemade Cherry Granita

foodzesty

This refreshing homemade cherry granita is made with leftover cherries. This icy treat is perfect for hot days and easy to prepare without any special equipment.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

overnight in the freezer 15 hours hrs

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Greek

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

• 2 ½ cups fresh cherries pitted (you can also use frozen cherries)
• ¾ cup water
• ½ cup sugar You can add more sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Layer a cake loaf pan with a sheet of parchment paper.
• Fill the pan with the 2 ½ cups fresh cherries. Place the pan in the freezer and leave for at least 10 hrs.
• In a small saucepan, add the ¾ cup water, ½ cup sugar, and the 1 tbsp lemon juice. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes or until it bubbles.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool.
• Place it in the fridge for 3 hours. (I left the syrup in the fridge overnight)
• Take the cherries out of the freezer and the syrup out of the refrigerator, and add them to the blender.
• Blend on high until all the cherries are crushed.
• Serve into 4 medium-sized serving bowls.

Keyword #frozen fruit, #homemade fruit, Easy recipe

KALI SAS OREXI!! 🙂