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    Home » Desserts » Homemade Italian Lemon Ice

    Homemade Italian Lemon Ice

    August 2, 2015 , Updated October 14, 2023 Maria 10 Comments

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    Italian Lemon Ice in a glass decorated with a sprig of mint.

    Come and see for yourself how easy it is to make this refreshing Homemade Italian Lemon Ice. No fancy ice cream machine required. The only tool you need is a fork and you’ll be rewarded with a tangy refreshing treat to help beat that summer heat.

    A serving of Homemade Italian Lemon Ice

    Homemade Italian Lemon Ice can also be referred to as Granita.

    Sicilians figured out a long time ago that when you combine water, sugar and different flavorings (the most popular being coffee and lemons, both found in abundance in Sicily) you end up with a totally refreshing light dessert.

    This dish can also be used as a palate cleanser between courses. 

    My loyalty and obsession with lemons left me no choice but to flavour it with lemon this time… perhaps I’ll try the coffee Granita during the next heat wave.

    If you have some Creamy Limoncello, you can drizzle a little over the top, or if you prefer, you can always drizzle a little rum…did someone say mojito? 🙂

    This homemade water ice’s texture can vary from extremely coarse to smooth. The smoother consistency will be the result of constant agitation. The idea is that you want to produce individual ice crystals.

    How to Make Lemon Italian Ice

    All it takes is 5 easy steps!

    lemons and mint required to make lemon ice.

    First Easy Step: Prepare your ingredients; rinse your lemons and mint leaves; peel, zest and squeeze your lemons.

    Making the simple syrup for the lemon ice.

    Second Easy Step: Combine the sugar and water to make your simple syrup by simmering and stirring for approximately 5 minutes. This will ensure that the sugar is completely dissolved.

    Adding the lemon zest and mint to make the lemon ice.

    Third Easy Step: Remove mixture from burner; add lemon peel, zest and mint leaves and allow to steep for about 15-20 minutes.

    The formation of ice crystals for the lemon ice.

    Fourth Easy Step: Remove lemon peel and mint; add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and pour the mixture in a tray or pan (I use a metal loaf pan).

    The lemon ice is almost done.

    Fifth Easy Step: Place pan in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes. Stir the mixture with a fork to break up the formation of ice. Make sure to break up the ice in the corners. Repeat every 30 minutes for the next three to four hours.

    That’s it!

    An overhead view of the lemon ice.

    Recipe origins

    Recently, my husband was watching the Sandwich King on the Food channel. The episode was called  Chicago Street Food and one of the recipes featured was Italian Lemonade.

    My mouth started watering immediately and so I had no choice but to go buy some organic lemons and start squeezing!

    This recipe for Homemade Italian Lemon Ice is sure to become a summer staple in your household, as it is well on its way to being one in mine!

    Mint placed decoratively on the serving dishes of Lemon Ice.

    THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

    Ciao for now,

    Maria

    ★★★★★ If you have made this Italian Ice recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

    Recipe

    Italian lemon ice in a glass.

    Homemade Italian Lemon Ice

    Forget the fancy ice cream maker, you can make this refreshing Homemade Italian Lemon Ice in 5 easy steps-with a fork.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Save RecipeSaved! Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 4 hours hours
    Total Time: 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 72kcal
    Author: Maria Vannelli RD
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    Ingredients

    • 1 cup water filtered or bottled
    • ⅓ - ½ cup granulated sugar based on personal preference
    • pinch salt
    • lemon peel of 1 organic lemon
    • lemon zest of 1 organic lemon
    • 10-12 mint leaves
    • ½ cup fresh lemon juice from 3-4 organic lemons

    Instructions

    • Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
    • Simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved (approx. 5 minutes.)
    • Remove from burner.
    • Add lemon peel, zest and mint leaves and allow to steep for about 15-20 minutes.
    • Remove lemon peel and mint leaves (the grated zest will provide for a nice texture.)
    • Stir in the lemon juice.
    • Pour liquid in a shallow stainless steel pan.
    • Place in freezer and stir to break up the ice every 30 minutes for 3-4 hours. The consistency should be granular but still slushy.
    • Serve immediately in chilled bowls.
    Enhance Your Cooking Experience!SCROLL UP for essential step-by-step photos embedded in the article above. When available, videos can be found in the next section. These visuals are designed to help you achieve perfect results every time. Happy cooking!

    Notes

    Try to remove the white pith on the lemon peels as this will make your lemon ice bitter.
    To speed up the freezing process, place your empty pan in the freezer, while you are prepping the lemons.
    Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 
    *recipe adapted from Sandwich King

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 45mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 12.6mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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    Filed Under: Desserts

    About Maria

    Maria Vannelli is a retired dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ur pal val

      February 16, 2018 at 7:54 pm

      5 stars
      There is nothing like this Italian Lemon Ice to cool you down in the summer. Great recipe, thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
      • Maria

        February 17, 2018 at 7:38 am

        Yes, this lemon ice is truly a refreshing treat to have. Appreciate your comment, thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    2. Tiffany

      July 15, 2017 at 10:06 pm

      This was delish! I used light brown sugar and added 1/4 cup of homemade rice milk, and used my cuisinart icecream maker. It tasted just like the real thing. Thanks for this awesome recipe!

      Reply
      • Maria

        July 15, 2017 at 10:52 pm

        My pleasure ♥ I must try adding the rice milk, that sounds amazing! Thanks for taking the time to comment, appreciate it Tiffany 🙂

        Reply
    3. Arden

      June 26, 2017 at 7:59 pm

      Does anyone know if this can be made with an ice cream maker instead of the fork scraping method??

      Reply
      • Maria

        June 27, 2017 at 6:38 am

        Great question! I’ve never tried… I’ll ask around and get back to you. Have a great day 🙂

        Reply
        • Suzie

          June 30, 2017 at 3:03 pm

          Yes you can and it comes out looking and feeling creamy although no milk was used. I love it that way

        • Maria

          June 30, 2017 at 3:08 pm

          Fantastic!!! Thanks Suzie ♥♥♥ Have a great week-end 🙂

      • Connie Vee

        September 18, 2017 at 7:11 pm

        Follow the recipe as it is stated and then pour the cold mixture into the ice cream maker. After about 45 minutes check to see if it has reached the consistency you wanted. I used a cuisinart ice cream maker with the top that is open. I just kept making sure that it was not going over the top. It was well blended with the machine. I then put it in the freezer for about an hour. Good luck,

        Reply
        • Maria

          September 18, 2017 at 7:25 pm

          Thanks Connie… that’s great! I think I need to get myself an ice cream maker 😉 Appreciate you taking the time to comment. Have a great evening ♥

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    Hi, I'm Maria! a dietitian (retired) and full-time content creator. Join me as I share traditional Italian recipes from my youth to modern twists on classics using fresh and seasonal ingredients.

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