Sicilian Melon Granita

From the garden

• 4 cups ripe cantaloupe or muskmelon, seeded, rind cut away, flesh cubed · about 1 large ripe melon, 3 pounds, to yield 4 cups puree
• 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn (optional) · to finish

From the pantry

• ½ cup granulated sugar · for the syrup; a very sweet melon can take a little less
• 2 tbsp lemon juice · about 1 lemon: it keeps the melon flavor from going flat under the cold
• 1 pinch salt

1. Warm the sugar with 1/4 cup water in a small pan over medium heat, stirring just until the grains dissolve, about 2 minutes. Cool the syrup completely before it meets the fruit.
2. Puree the melon in a blender until perfectly smooth, then measure 4 cups into a bowl. Stir in the cooled syrup, the lemon juice, and the salt. Taste it: freezing mutes sweetness, so the base should read a shade too sweet.
3. Pour into a wide, shallow metal pan no more than an inch deep and freeze 1 hour, until the edges have set to slush and the middle is still loose.
4. Rake the whole surface with a fork, dragging the frozen edges into the center. Repeat every 30 minutes for about 3 hours, until the pan holds nothing but loose, glittering crystals.
5. Scrape into chilled glasses with a fork and top with torn mint. Serve at once, since granita slumps into juice within a few minutes of leaving the freezer.