Ice For Any Occasion
Whether it’s a classy summer cocktail or a glass of juice to go with the kids’ lunch, these quick ice ideas will add that ‘something special’ to your glass.
If you’re looking for the ice to help flavor your drink once it begins to melt, you’re going to want to make your ice out of juices. Doing this will allow for the flavor to quickly incorporate itself into whatever drink that you use it in.
If you’d like your ice to slowly build flavor, then you’ll want to freeze fruits and herbs into your ice. Don’t forget that you can, also, use edible flowers, of just their petals, in your ice. If the petals are too big, tear them into smaller pieces. Be gentle, though, as you risk bruising the petals.
Fruits:
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries (slices)
Lemons (cut a wedge of lemon in half)
Pomegranate
Cranberries
Herbs and Flowers:
Thyme
Tarragon
Basil
Mint
Rosemary
Rose
Lavender
Pansies
Violas
Marigold (petals)
Borage
Squash (blossom petal pieces)
Bachelor’s Buttons
Chive (blossoms)
To cut down on the number of white spots in your ice cubes, you can use purified water. You can also boil your water twice. If boiling your water to make ice, you should use a silicon ice mold and (CAREFULLY) fill your molds with the hot water. Without letting the water cool, place it into the freezer to freeze.
What are some great combinations for ice?
Try freezing these combinations:
Coconut milk and Marigold cubes: Iced Black Tea
Blueberries and water cubes: Lemonade
Cranberry juice and fresh Raspberry cubes: Sparkling water
Grapefruit juice and fresh thyme cubes: Vodka Tonic
Lemon slices and dried lavender flower cubes: Lavender Lemonade
Lavender Lemonade
Ingredients:
For concentrate mixture:
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 Tbsp dried lavender buds
Directions:
1. In a mason jar, add all of the ingredients, seal, and shake until the sugar is dissolved. Let your mixture sit for one hour to steep.
2. (optional step) Strain your mixture.
3. Pour into a large pitcher or jug. Add 6 cups of cold water. Add ice to top up your pitcher. Remember that as your ice melts that it will dilute your lemonade slightly. Keep this in mind if you feel that your lemonade is a bit strong.