Sapodilla is a tropical fruit grown in many parts of the world including the Yucatan, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Here in Vietnam the fruits are about 4 inches across with a deep peach colored flesh. They are extremely sweet when they are ripe and make fantastic granita! Paired with the tang of passion fruit, it’s a hard to beat combination!
The Recipe
by volume                             by weight
3 sapodillas                           510 grams sapodilla (whole)
2  large passion fruits                110 grams passion fruit (whole)
1/2 cup water                         120 grams water
2 tablespoons lime juice             28 grams lime juice
Directions
Be sure you are using ripe fruits for maximum juiciness and flavor. Put the pulp of both the sapodillas and the passion fruits in a fine mesh strainer and press to extract as much juice as possible. You should end up with approximately one cup of juice.
Stir in the water and the lime juice. Taste to make sure you like the flavor and adjust as necessary. Pour the mix into a metal baking pan and place in the freezer for 45 minutes.
The liquid should form a skim coat of ice. Stir this up with a fork and return the pan to the freezer.
In another 45 minutes remove the pan again and stir with a fork.
Return the pan to the freezer and wait another 45 minutes. At this point my granita was completely frozen. You will notice the color of the granita getting lighter and a bit brighter as it freezes more completely. Scrape one more time with the fork to produce flaky shards of ice.
The granita will keep very well until serving time. You will just need to “fluff” it with a fork before serving. You can keep the granita in the freezer for several days. Just be sure to cover the pan with plastic or foil for longer storage.
Alternatives
Granita can be made in an endless variety of flavors. I chose these two fruits for their ready availability and delicious flavors but many, many fruits will make a delicious granita. Sapodilla may be hard to find and if that is the case, simply substitute another sweet fruit to pair with the passion fruit.
If you choose to make granita with other fruits here are a few simple rules to follow:
- 1) Sweet fruits such as oranges, peaches, and strawberries usually don’t need sugar added to the juice. Simply mix with the water and lime juice in the recipe and freeze.
- 2) Tangy fruits such as lemons, cranberries, and raspberries usually need a bit of sugar if you don’t mix them with a sweet fruit. Start with 2 cups of juice and add a couple of tablespoons of sugar. Taste to see if it is sweet enough and adjust to suit your taste. Some fruits, like grapefruit, will need more sugar than others.
- 3) A squeeze of lemon or lime juice is a good idea! It gives a little punch of flavor and another dimension to the granita. Likewise, a pinch of salt or a sprinkle of chili powder or ginger can add interesting flavors as well.
