Who said granita? It is often confused with sorbet, but it differs because of its more granular (hence the name) and creamy consistency at the same time. Here in Sicily, it is a must! Whether it’s summer or winter, for us Sicilians, it makes no difference because it’s always the right time to enjoy it, not only at breakfast but also at lunch and dinner! In Catania, the granita par excellence is the almond one, which I absolutely adore, but during the short seasonal period starting in June and ending in July, you can enjoy a fantastic mulberry granita, especially in the Messina area! Let me tell you, it’s incredibly delicious! Sitting at the bar and being able to ask for an almond granita with a touch of mulberry or all mulberry is priceless!!! Naturally accompanied by the legendary brioche col tuppo! But when you have the opportunity to pick these fruits directly from the tree, can you say no to homemade? And here is my super easy recipe! If you have mulberries available, give it a try! I recommend starting to prepare it the afternoon before for breakfast the next morning! If you have an ice cream maker or sorbet maker, even better, it will be a breeze, but if you’re missing these convenient tools to speed up the process, I’ll give you some tips on how to churn it by hand and still get an excellent consistency! It’s more work, but it will absolutely be worth it! Thanks to my uncles Sebastiano and Anna for this delicious raw material, whose sweetness and genuineness made this preparation even more special!
If you are interested in other Sicilian spoon dessert recipes, don’t miss these preparations as well:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Portions: 4
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients:
- 1.1 lbs black mulberries
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 lemon juice
Tools
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, and it doesn’t cost you anything extra!
- 1 Sieve
- Paper towels
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Ice cream maker
Preparation
Wash the mulberries under running water, removing the larger stems.
Transfer them to a strainer to drain for at least 1 hour.
Pat them dry with kitchen paper towels, being careful not to bruise them, and transfer them to a blender or mixer.
Blend them in stages to extract juice and pulp.
Meanwhile, pour the water into a small pot with the sugar, and dissolve over low heat. Be sure not to bring the solution to a boil or caramelize the sugar.
Once the syrup is smooth, turn off the heat, and let it cool completely before adding it to the mulberry puree. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and filter it with a strainer.
Mix to thoroughly combine, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Afterwards, you can pour the mixture into an ice cream maker to freeze it.
In my case, having a sorbet maker, I transferred the mixture to a steel pot and placed it in the freezer for at least 5 hours, but overnight is better. The next day, I cut large pieces of this mixture with a knife and transferred them still frozen into the sorbet maker. In a few minutes, I had my granita.
If you don’t have a sorbet maker, I recommend keeping about 1/4 cup of mulberry juice in the fridge, and scraping the frozen part with a spoon, using the liquid part. It will take some elbow grease, but it will be just as creamy.
Serve immediately. And voilà…your Sicilian mulberry granita is ready to be enjoyed!
In the picture, my almond version with a touch of mulberry served with my brioche col tuppo.
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Almond with a touch of mulberry is a must for breakfast in Catania or Messina.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣If you don’t like the sensation of seeds, I recommend straining the final mixture before freezing, but frankly, I would say you’d lose much of the fruit’s properties and the essence of the granita, which should be both granular and creamy.
Can this type of granita be made with other similar fruits?
You can follow the same procedure for white mulberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
