Lime Granita With Star Anise And Ginger

I knew I would find a good use for all those ten cent limes. If granita isn't your thing, you could always make marmalade, but I would encourage you to give this recipe a try. It would also make a good base for a spritzer with seltzer water, if you didn't want to freeze it. A scoop of the frozen stuff would probably be incredible in a glass of ginger ale. I think I might need to try that tonight. I wouldn't recommend it as a sorbet however, as the weight of sugar to liquid is so high, it might not freeze hard enough. I once burned out the motor of an ice cream freezer finding that out.
You Will Need:

1 cup of lime juice, strained of pulp
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
2 -3 slices of fresh ginger
3 pieces of star anise

Juice the limes and set aside. I find that running the limes under hot water and then rolling them on the counter before juicing helps them give up more juice.

In a small pot, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to a simmer, add the ginger and star anise and simmer ten minutes. Remove from heat, let cool. Combine with juice and place in a glass or metal dish and let it sit in the freezer for several hours, stirring and scraping with a fork about every half hour. When it is all solid, transfer it to a tightly sealed container and keep frozen.