No-Wasted-Watermelon Granita

Last weekend at the market I told the cashier I wanted to pick up a watermelon on my way out. She asked which size I wanted and I told her a small one would be fine. I thought they were all the same price, so I told her I wanted one of the $5.99 melons. The other girl who worked there said she had two left for $4.99. Well, there was no need to try to convince me further. I didn't even care what size it was - I wanted the cheaper melon.

Strangely enough, the cheaper watermelons were bigger than the more expensive melons. I guess you could say I got lucky. Or maybe not. 

A larger watermelon in this house just meant more fruit the two of us would have to consume. And although I could happily eat my weight in watermelon every day, I shouldn't. So I spent days telling the husband, "Don't forget to eat some watermelon." It didn't take long before that got old.

I remembered The Mom Chef told me she made a watermelon granita earlier this summer that was a nice treat, so I thought I'd give it a try. The husband is quite a fan of Popsicles, so I figured something a bit healthier, if not at least more natural than the Popsicles he buys, couldn't hurt.

I whipped this up while he was out golfing and it was ready when he got home. It was so, so easy to put together I couldn't believe it. And I followed The Mom Chef's suggestions and cut the sugar a little - 'cause watermelon is so dang sweet and delicious all by itself - and used lemon juice instead of lime, as instructed by the recipe, simply because I wasn't sure if the husband would welcome the lime flavor. (I figured I would, but I really wasn't sure about him.)

This dessert was a serious hit with the husband. I told him I was debating over whether to cut the sugar even more the next time I make it and he said that wasn't a good idea. He likes it just the way it is.

So, if you find yourself with more watermelon than you can handle, I'd definitely suggest this fresh watermelon granita. It takes hardly any time to make, it tastes fab and it'll help keep any of that watermelon from going to waste.

Watermelon Granita

Tweaked From Bon Appetit Magazine

 4 cups cubed watermelon (seedless or pick out all the seeds like I did)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Puree the watermelon, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor, and pour the mixture into a square metal baking dish. 

Use the back of a fork to crush any remaining chunks of watermelon.

Cover and freeze the granita until firm, about 2 hours.

Scrape the granita into bowls, or let your husband eat it straight from the dish with a spoon.

Enjoy!