Mixed Berry Granita
The following recipe and photography was provided by recipe developer and food photographer, Ashley Durand of Plate & Pen.
Temperatures are rising and although we haven’t quite reached peak summer heat, I am more than ready to start indulging in chilled treats! This Mixed Berry Granita is light, cold, refreshing and sweet, but doesn’t carry nearly as much sugar as traditional frozen desserts!
In their simplest form, granitas call for two ingredients, fruit and ice, but to enhance the flavor profile, I added a mixed berry simple syrup, Heinen’s blackberry lemonade and pomegranate juice! In addition to enhancing the delicious flavor, it also made the texture smoother than traditional shaved ice.
To save time, I recommend using Heinen’s pre-cut and packaged fruit! They’re extremely fresh and will save you several minutes of chopping and slicing!
Let’s get going on this granita!
Mixed Berry Granita
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Mixed Berry Granita
- 3 cups Heinen's fresh pre-packaged mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)
- 6 oz. Heinen's blackberry lemonade or your favorite flavored water
- 1/3 cup mixed berry simple syrup (recipe below)
- 3 Tbsp. pomegranate juice
- Mint, for garnish
- Raspberries, for garnish
For the Mixed Berry Simple Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup Heinen's fresh pre-packaged mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)
Instructions
- Start by making the mixed berry simple syrup one day, or a few hours, before making the granita. Mash 1/2 cup of the pre-packaged berries and add them to a saucepan with the sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, strain the mixture into a jar. Place in the refrigerator until ready to make the granita. This recipe yields more simple syrup than is needed for the granita, so reserve any leftovers in a jar in the fridge for other uses.
- Add all of the ingredients for the granita, including the chilled simple syrup, to a food processor or high-powered blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×9 tray.
- Place in the freezer for 3-4 hours, scraping the sides every 30 minutes.
- Serve.
