American Vinegar Works Peach and Honey Granita
Granitas are an Italian treat that exist in the neighborhood of a snow cone and sorbet. Originally from Sicily they are found throughout Italy and beyond. They make for a sophisticated and light dessert, heat wave refresher, or a fun midcourse palate cleanser. The flaky ice crystals also make for a fun textural experience.
Granitas can be made from numerous bases and fruits. Here we are using stone fruit, our Honey Wine Vinegar for acid, and raw honey for sweetness.
As an adult dessert we particularly like to serve this granita with a small frozen (i.e. syrupy) gin carafe at the dinner table to allow guests to pour on a little gin into their granita. Barr Hill’s gin is as our favorite for this purpose—not the least because they continue our theme of honey in this recipe.
This recipe features our Honey Wine Vinegar.
Which vinegar to use, and why
Honey vinegar keeps a fruit ice from tasting flat and sugary, and the hibiscus adds color as well as tartness. We use Desert Hibiscus Honey Vinegar here. It is slow-fermented and aged in oak at our mill in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is why it seasons the dish rather than just souring it.
Make it ahead and keep it
Freeze it in a shallow tray and rake it with a fork every half hour so it stays granular.
What to cook next
Try Honey Hibiscus Spritz, or browse all our vinegar recipes. If you have not cooked with craft vinegar before, a mini bottle sampler set lets you taste across the range before committing to a full-size bottle. Orders over $85 ship free within the contiguous US.
