Ingredients
Method
- Zest your lemons and limes (it should take about 2 lemons and 3-4 limes) and then juice them.
- In a small mixing bowl or on a plate, combine the sugar and the zest, massaging them together with your fingers to help release the oils in the zest.
- To a medium-sized saucepan over medium low heat, add the zest and sugar mixture, lemon and lime juice, and water and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let the zest steep in the hot mixture for 20-30 minutes, then strain out the zest and move the Italian ice base to the refrigerator.
- Let it chill until cold - 8 hours or overnight, then add it to your ice cream maker and churn until the Italian ice is no longer wet and slushy - time will vary depending on your ice cream maker.
- Enjoy right away or freeze to eat later - just be sure to give it 10-15 minutes to soften up before scooping.
Notes
Storage: Kept frozen in an airtight container, this Italian ice can be enjoyed within 3-6 months. Just be sure to let it thaw out slightly before scooping.
Serving: You can enjoy this right away once it's out of the ice cream maker. Traditionally, it's served in paper cups like you see below, but it's also super cute in a hollowed-out lemon for entertaining, or straight out of the container.
Be sure to let the base chill overnight before putting it in your ice cream maker, or else it will take significantly longer to churn, and depending on your model, might not work.
Churning times will vary depending on your ice cream maker. We know ours is done when the ice cream maker is no longer spinning the Italian ice and it's just kind of stuck as a frozen block while the maker spins around it.