Achacha Granita

Achacha is a unique fruit that is lovely eaten as is or used to make drinks or even sorbets, and granitas. This cooling summer dessert recipe is a great one celebrating the flavours of achacha, and it pairs perfectly with a fruit like pineapple, feel free to experiment by using any other fruits you would like (for example dragonfruit or watermelon)! When soaking the skin of the achacha, the water turns a vibrant orange colour and is full of nutrition and a sour flavour that works well with the sweetness of the rest of the fruit in this recipe. Eat this granita as is or top it with mint for a refreshing summer afternoon dessert.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 kg achacha
• 100-200 g fresh pineapple (skin removed)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

METHOD

1. Peel the achacha skin by using a small sharp knife to cut around the achacha. As you remove the skin place it directly into a bowl of water (1 cup of water). Fit in as much achacha skin as possible and let it soak whilst you prepare the fruit base for the granita.
2. Remove the seeds from the achacha, either by using your fingers or by placing the fruit into a very high speed blender then use a sieve to separate the achacha pulp from the remaining seeds (only use a thermomix or other high quality processor).
3. Once you have the achacha pulp, place it into a food processor along with the pineapple, the sugar and the orange coloured achacha skin water (discard the actual achacha skin). Process until a smooth mixture is formed, taste and adjust any of the ingredients to your preference.
4. Transfer the achacha mixture into a shallow tray and place into the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours (depending on the size of the tray the granita might need more time to freeze).
5. Once the granita is completely frozen, use a fork to scrape the granita and serve straight away in small bowls.

Prep time: 30 mins
Freezing time: 2 hours minimum
Makes: 4 servings

Recipe & pics by Ana Zolotarev.