Wood Sorrel & Lemon Granita Recipe

3 servings
15 min

Hot summer days are here and it's only going to get hotter. The heat is starting to make my stomach churn, which is why I'm so excited about this wood sorrel and lemon granita recipe.

It's a bright and cold dessert that's a refreshing snack and satisfies your sweet tooth at the same time, and you don't even need an ice cream maker! I'm here for easy recipes especially when you're trying not to use the oven. If you want to impress your friends at a dinner party, this dessert is it!

The combination of lemon juice and tangy wood sorrel adds an unexpected twist that will make your guests double-take when they see what looks like an elegant dish—but it only took minutes to make and will be ready by dinner time.


Granita al Limone

Granita is a Sicilian treat and lemon is one of the most popular flavors. Lemon ice was a summer favorite in hot New England summers, but instead of Sicilian lemon granita in southern Italy enjoying my Italian ice in western Massachusetts. If you are out of lemons check out this mulberry granita recipe that you also find on a Sicilian granita menu.


What is wood sorrel?

Wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) is a perennial herb in the Oxalidaceae family, native to Europe and North America. It is also known as sour grass or sour weed. Wood sorrel is high in vitamin C, and it is a great snack on a hot day.


Ingredients and substitutions

To make the lemon granita, you'll need a cup of fresh wood sorrel leaves and stems, one lemon (zest and juice), a quarter cup of sugar, and one cup of water.

For a shortcut, you can make this wood sorrel sugar syrup ahead of time.

If you do so, omit the lemon zest because it will be too intense; otherwise; instead just use the sweetened fruit juice. You could substitute sugar with honey if you'd prefer it that way!


Instructions

  • Rinse the wood sorrel leaves thoroughly and trim away any stems that may still be attached.
  • Bring water to a boil in a large pot (at least two quarts) over medium heat and add the wood sorrel.
  • After 5 minutes, turn off the burner, remove the pan from heat and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes before straining out all liquid through cheesecloth or another fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.
  • Discard any solids left behind in your bowl.
  • Add sugar and lemon juice to strained liquid until dissolved and stir well until thoroughly combined.
  • Let mixture come to room temperature or store in the fridge until cool


How to make the granita

  • Once ready, add lemon juice and zest, and water into the cooled syrup.
  • Pour liquid into a shallow baking dish, add chopped wood sorrel leaves and place it in the freezer.
  • After two hours, pull the sheet tray from the freezer and, using the tines of a fork, break up the partially frozen liquid, encouraging ice crystals, then place it back in the freezer for another two hours.
  • Once the granita reaches the optimal consistency (semi-frozen, icy, with minimal to no liquid), top with fresh wood sorrel leaves and serve.


Serving Suggestions

  • Top it with extra simple syrup and bam! Instant adult snow cones!
  • Serve with mint.
  • Serve with lemon zest.
  • Serve with lemon juice—just add a few drops to the granita, and you're good to go!
  • Serve with fresh mint leaves...although I don't know why you'd want to do that because this is a dessert!


Storage and Leftovers

Store your leftover granita in a freezer bag or air-tight container in the freezer. You can keep granita in the freezer for up to a month. You may need to scrape it again before serving.


📖 Recipe

More desserts to try:

End of Summer Granola with Coconut Oil

How to make simple syrup for cocktails

How to Make Strawberry Mango Popsicles

Jelly vs Jam and Other Types of Fruit Preserves

Wood Sorrel & Lemon Granita Recipe
Recipe details
  • 3  servings
  • Prep time: 5 Minutes Cook time: 10 Minutes Total time: 15 min
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups of water
  • 1 cup of wood sorrel syrup
  • ¼ cup of wood sorrel leaves finely chopped
  • the juice and zest from 1 lemon
Instructions
Make the syrup
Rinse the leaves thoroughly and trim away any stems that may still be attached.
Bring water to a boil in a large pot (at least two quarts) over medium heat and add the wood sorrel.
After 5 minutes, turn off the burner, remove the pan from heat and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes before straining out all liquid through cheesecloth or another fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.
Discard any solids left behind in your bowl.
Add sugar and lemon juice to strained liquid until dissolved and stir well until thoroughly combined.
Let mixture come to room temperature or store in the fridge until cool
How to make the granita
Once ready, add lemon juice and zest, and water into the cooled syrup.
Pour liquid into a shallow baking dish, add chopped wood sorrel leaves and place it in the freezer.
After two hours, pull the sheet tray from the freezer and, using the tines of a fork, break up the partially frozen liquid, encouraging ice crystals, then place it back in the freezer for another two hours.
Once the granita reaches the optimal consistency (semi-frozen, icy, with minimal to no liquid), top with fresh wood sorrel leaves and serve.
Stephanie | Slow Living Kitchen
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Comments
  • Cso51108026 Cso51108026 on Aug 31, 2022

    Okay, I have to check with our local foraging groups to see if anyone knows where to harvest wild wood sorrel around these parts!!! I cannot WAIT until dandelion season - I stock up on greens for the next 8 months or so, and it the greens are super- long, I blanch, rinse, and freeze them, sub dandelions into anything I'd normally add spinal or kale! Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana? DELISH with dandelion and not kale! I make "radikiakopita" or "hortakopita" which is the traditional Greek "spinach-cheese pie" with feta, phyllo, etc. but I use dandelions. I mix finely minced into ground beef with onion and garlic when I'm cooking it for spaghetti, tacos, etc., and no one blinks an eye, but they're getting something like 300X more vitamin K than spinach has! Nuts.


    And ALMOST every summer I make clover honey - right along the lines of your wood sorrel syrup - but man, it's so so close in taste to bee honey? I fooled a bunch of 4H-ers!!! Gotta find a patch of wood sorrel, because I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to play with this ingredient!!! We use garlic mustard for pesto, but I must admit, I'm just not all that wise, about foraging - I feel more confident when I have someone to show me. Garlic mustard? White cross flowers, on it. Dandelions? Clover is a duh... I've used thistle, too, in a pinch... But that's about my limit! Oh, and chicory!!! (It is NOT wonderful as coffee, but it is drinkable... lol). Wood sorrel sounds lovely!!! ~Chrissie

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