Now that pomegranate juice is widely available in bottles, this refreshing granita, subtly perfumed with rosewater, makes a wonderful palate cleanser to serve after a main course and before dessert and is a cinch to make.
It’s equally delicious made with the reserved juice from the berries used in our Purple Fruit Strudel.
If you have a food mill, it’s really easy to extract the juice from chunks of fresh pomegranate.
Pomegranates are a great source of a powerful antioxidant called punicalagin, and punicic acid which is anti-inflammatory and may help reduce cancer. They’re also good for heart and brain health.
Serves: 6-8
Freeze: 1 month
Per serving: 48 cals, 12 g carbs
500 ml (17 fl oz) fresh or bottled pure pomegranate or berry juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 tsp rosewater
fresh pomegranate seeds or rose petals to decorate
Simmer the pomegranate juice in a saucepan for 8-10 minutes to intensify its flavour. Stir in the sugar, leave to cool, then add the lemon juice and rose water. Pour into a shallow container and freeze for 2 hours.
Using a large fork, scrape the frozen mixture across the surface and sides – it should look like coarse snow. Freeze for another 2 hours then repeat the scraping process until all the mixture is like coarse pink snow. The granita can now be frozen in an airtight container for up to a week.
Serve in very small glass dishes sprinkled with pomegranate seeds or rose petals.
