Fruit Ice

Ripe fruit*
1/3 to 2/3 cup superfine sugar, to taste
3 tablespoons tequila (optional)**

Pur e fruit in a food processor. Transfer the pur e to a large bowl. Stir in sugar to taste and the tequila, if desired. Mix well to dissolve the sugar. Place the mixture in the freezer and chill until it begins to freeze around the edges and across the top, about 2 hours.

Whisk to break up and mix in the ice crystals, then return to the freezer and chill for 2 hours more.

Whisk again, breaking up the ice crystals and re-mixing into an evenly-granulated mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and return to the freezer until frozen through, 2 to 3 hours more or up to several days.

Remove from the freezer 45 minutes before serving so the ice softens enough to spoon it out.

* 4 pounds ripe watermelon, cantaloupe, or other sweet melon, seeded and rind removed or 6 cups berries, stemmed, if necessary, or 6 ripe mangos, peeled and pulp cut off the seeds.

** The tequila not only adds flavor, it prevents the mixture from freezing solid.