Pluot Granita and Granita Sangria

Pluots /ˈpluːɒt/  hybrid that are genetically one-fourth (25%) apricot and three-fourths (75%) plum.

Granita \grə-ˈnē-tə\:  a coarse-textured ice confection typically made from fruit

Sangria /san’grí a/ is an alcoholic beverage of Spanish origin, traditionally consists of red wine and chopped fruit, often with other ingredients such as orange juice or brandy

Now that you know what it is, here is how to make it and enjoy it! I got a VERY large bag of pluots at our farmers’ market as they were packing up. Then I had to figure out what to do with them. It’s summer and it’s warm so Granita was one of my first thoughts. It’s easy to make, but you do need to be around for a few hours to make sure you get the fine icy crystals that you can then enjoy in a number of ways to keep cool.

Pluot (or Plum) Granita

• 2 Pounds ripe Pluots or Plums, (pits removed) coarsely chopped. I used 9 or 10 pluots)
• 2 inches peeled fresh Ginger, finely minced
• 1 Cup Sugar (you can add more if the fruit isn’t very sweet)
• 5 Cups Water
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 tsp. Vanilla

Add fruit, ginger and sugar to the water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until fruit has broken down about 15-20 minutes. Let cool some, then blend in small batches, being careful with hot fluid. Pour through a fine sieve into a 9×13 inch non reactive pan (I use glass, some people use metal). Stir in vanilla and chill in freezer until edges are frozen, I set the timer for 1 1/2 hours. With a fork, pull frozen edges to the middle, breaking up larger pieces. Put back in freezer and repeat process every 30 minutes until the whole batch is like shaved ice. You can serve right away, scooping into a nice bowl with a few pieces of fresh fruit. I put the rest of mine in a lidded plastic container and have used it for a few days already.

Brandied Pluots 

I really had a LOT of pluots so I preserved some with Brandy for use later, then used some sooner than later for the Sangria.

• 8-9 Pluots, cut into sixths
• 2 cups Brandy
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Vanilla Bean, with seeds scraped out (I ran out so just added 1 tsp vanilla on this batch)
• 1 Cup Sugar

Fill a 1 quart Ball/Mason jar with fruit. Stir in Sugar, Cinnamon Stick and Vanilla. Pour Brandy over mixer, put on tightly fitting lid and shake to mix in sugar. Set in a cool place for minimum 4 weeks to preserve. Make sure that none of the fruit is floating above the brandy line, you may need to weigh it down with a smaller lid, something that won’t break down. (I read recipes that called for whole fruit, with a lot of holes poked in them. This would negate the need for a weight and you can cut up fruit later.) Serve over cake or ice cream, or use for Sangria.

Pluot Granita Sangria 

I was making Sangria on the fly and realized I didn’t have any juice, so instead of ice and juice, I used the Granita from my freezer and the Brandied Pluots from my pantry. It was great!

• 1 orange, cut into slices and halved
• 1 Cup Chopped or Sliced Fruit (peaches, plums, grapes)
• 1/4 Cup Brandy (I used some from my Brandied Pluots along with some of the fruit)
• 1 bottle of chilled white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
• Sparkling Water

In a pitcher, add the fruit and brandy. This can be done ahead to marinate the fruit a little. When you are getting ready to pour, add the wine to the pitcher. Put small scoops of your granita into wine glasses, pour the wine mixture into the glasses and add a splash of sparkling water. Enjoy!