Watermelon Granita

Step 1

In a small saucepan, combine 0.5 cup water and 0.5 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Step 2

In a blender, puree 6 cups cubed watermelon in batches until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing to extract juice; discard solids.

Step 3

Stir the cooled sugar syrup, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 0.25 tsp salt into the watermelon juice. Taste and add more lemon if needed.

Step 4

Pour the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place in the freezer, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Step 5

After 1 hour, use a fork to scrape the frozen edges into the center. Return to freezer. Repeat scraping every 30 minutes until the mixture is fully frozen and fluffy, about 3 hours total.

Step 6

Scrape the granita into icy crystals with a fork. Spoon into chilled bowls and serve immediately.