Concord Grape Granita with Mint + Lime
March 17, 2021
Concord grapes are so sweet and juicy that they seem to explode in your mouth; in my opinion, grapes don’t get more delicious. Using the juice to make an icy granita is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this superfood.
Grandma Charlotte
Concord grape juice always makes me think of my Grandma Charlotte, who served it at our family dinners on Sundays. Usually she would combine it with a bit of ginger ale to give it a fizzy touch. The thing that made it so incredibly delicious was the fact that she canned her own grape juice in season so that we could enjoy it all year long. Concord grapes are so sweet and juicy that they seem to explode in your mouth; in my opinion, grapes don’t get more delicious. Using the juice to make an icy granita is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this superfood. (In addition to the deep grape-y flavor that you get from concords, they are also packed with antioxidants.)
Secret Ingredients
The addition of lime in this dish provides a nice tart flavor to balance out some of the sweetness. The fresh mint infused into the syrup and the sprinkle of salt gives it a bit of finesse and makes this light dessert even more refreshing. This is a perfect recipe for splurging on a high-quality sea salt like fleur de sel – sprinkled over the granita just before serving will give it a burst of flavor, visual appeal, and even texture.
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Concord Grape Granita with Lime + Mint
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 cups concord grape juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
- Grated zest of 1 lime
- 4 sprigs fresh mint
- Fleur de sel, for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, ½ cup of the grape juice, lime juice and zest, and mint sprigs. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring, to dissolve the sugar, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the mint sprigs and stir in the remaining 1 ½ cups grape juice. Pour the mixture into a 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish. Put the dish into the freezer. Every 30 minutes, scrape the mixture with a fork to break up the ice crystals and to keep the granita light and fluffy. Continue scraping every 30 minutes for at least 2 hours until an icy slush has formed.
- Scrape the granita into glasses, sprinkle with a little fleur de sel, and serve.