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Granita di gelsi neri
Black mulberry granita
Granita di gelsi neri: Sicily's deep purple black mulberry granita
In late June and July the black mulberry trees of Sicily, especially around Messina and Acireale, drop their dark, juicy fruit, and the bars turn them into a granita the colour of ink, sweet and tangy, served in a glass with a warm brioche. Mulberries stain everything, so locals eat it carefully. If you can't find black mulberries, blackberries make a very similar granita. Chef's tip: add a squeeze of lemon; it brightens the berry flavour and keeps the colour vivid.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 ¼ cups water
- ½ lemonjuiced
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 5 ½ oz caster sugar and 1 ¼ cups water for 3 minutes, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Cool.
3 minStep 2: Blend 1 ⅛ lb black mulberries or blackberries and push through a sieve to remove the seeds. Mix the purée with the syrup and ½ lemon.
Step 3: Pour into a wide metal tray and freeze for 1 hour, until ice forms at the edges.
Step 4: Scrape and stir with a fork every 30 minutes for 3–4 hours, until soft and flaky. Common mistake: using too little sugar; the granita freezes rock hard and tastes sour.
Step 5: Serve in glasses with brioche.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does granita di gelsi neri take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
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