Summer is around the corner, and the best way to keep you feeling refreshed is to have cold treats. For some people, chewing ice is a habit even though it can damage the tooth enamel.
Good thing, there is a softer kind of ice that has a slushy texture. The secret to its snowy surface is no longer a mystery because we will you how to make soft ice in easy, detailed steps.
Soft ice, also called nugget ice, has a mild, chewy texture ideal for making cocktails, snow cones, desserts, and other cold desserts. It is usually available in commercial establishments, but did you know that you can easily create soft ice at home? That’s exactly what we’re going to teach you.
How to Make Soft Ice at Home
The ice you make at home is hard. Even when you try to crush it, the little pieces still have the hardened surface. To succeed, you must have the right tools, as well as the correct type of water.
Things You Will Need
Here is the complete list of materials to prepare before you make soft ice at home:
1. Soda Club or Carbonated Water
The critical ingredient to soft ice is the soda club, which is a kind of carbonated water traditionally used as a drink mixer. Manufacturers incorporate potassium sulfate, potassium bicarbonate, or sodium citrate to reproduce the ingredients usually found in natural mineral waters.
Unflavored carbonated water contains more bubbles than regular water. These bubbles contribute to the soft texture of the frozen water.
2. Ice Cube Tray
Silicone or plastic is the most commonly used material in producing ice cube trays. Its medium-size partitions create the perfect ice cube size.
To be specific, you need each mold to be between 1.3 and 1.9 cm wide. You can buy ice cube trays at kitchen stores, grocery stores, or online shops.
3. Blender
A good blender suitable for crushing ice has a glass container, 400-watt power setting, and stainless steel blades. Do not try to break the ice with plastic blades as it will surely damage your device and fail to achieve the consistent soft ice texture.
4. Muddler
A muddler is a typical bartender’s tool used to smash and mix ingredients such as herbs, spices, and fruits, for drinks like cocktails. It is usually six to eight inches long and one inch wide and made of plastic, wood, or stainless steel. A wood muddler is the bartender’s favorite when smashing ice cubes into tiny pieces.
5. Dishtowel or Lewis Bag
If you don’t have a heavy-duty blender, a Lewis bag is an excellent option. It is a durable canvas bag that you can fill in with ice cubes.
A flap, tie, or fold secures the ice content while you smash it using a muddler. You beat it until you achieve the consistent tiny pieces of soft ice.
Also, the Lewis bag eliminates unwanted moisture produced by the energy from your arm to the ice. As a result, the crushed ice is not dripping wet. You can conveniently scoop it right into your glass without a mess of water.
6. Plastic Bowl
Since you can’t crush too much ice in a blender or Lewis bag in one go, you will do it by batch. Once you’re done with one batch, you place the crushed ice into a plastic bowl.
Take note, though, that crushed ice melts faster than ice cubes. Thus, if there is an excess batch of soft ice that you won’t use immediately, consider keeping the plastic bowl of crushed ice inside the freezer.
Step-by-Step Process
Now that you have the ice cubes and materials ready, you can start making soft ice at home. Here are the things you need to do:
1. Freeze the Club Soda
Pour in the club soda into each of the tray partitions. You can also use trays with fun shapes for more variety.
Make sure that each of the molds is only half full. Since it is a carbonated drink, only use freshly opened club soda to ensure that it hasn’t gone flat. Avoid using carbonated drinks where bubbles have wholly gone out in the air.
If club soda is not available, you can use carbonated water. You may go for the flavored ones like lemon or strawberry for a fruity twist. This twist is best when making snow cones or yogurt, which is best-loved by kids and adults.
2. Store the Tray Inside the Freezer for Hours
Once you fill the tray with the soda club, place it in the freezer ensuring that it sits flat. Leave it overnight or at least six hours.
When the water freezes, you will notice that it has a cloudy appearance. To see if the ice has completely frozen, press one of the molds firmly. When it gives in or cracks, the ice needs more time in the freezer.
3. Pop the Ice Up Out of the Tray
Once the water has completely frozen, remove the tray out of the freezer. Bend the tray carefully back and forth to loosen the ice cubes until they pop out.
If you have a hard time taking the ice out of the plate, tap it against a sturdy surface. Place the ice cubes in a bowl.
4. Crush the Ice
This procedure is the fun part for most people. There are two ways to crush the ice: the use of a blender or the manual method using the Lewis bag and a muddler.
- Blender
When using a blender, check the manufacturer’s manual if it is suitable for crushing ice. If it is, drop some ice cubes into the blender’s glass bowl, leaving enough room for ice movement. Turn the mixer on a crush or smoothie setting.
- Muddler
The muddler is convenient when you’re crushing a small amount of ice. You do it by placing a handful of ice cubes in a glass.
Lay a firm press onto the ice cubes through the muddler and create a rotating movement as needed. Do it until you crush the ice into smaller pieces. Just one side note though: don’t try to do this manual crushing on a plastic glass as it may break easily.
If you plan to crush large batches to ice, though, the Lewis bag and muddler is the best pair. To do so, place enough ice cubes into the bag and secure them by folding over the flap.
Pound it with a muddler until you crush the ice cubes thoroughly. You can also use a wooden rolling pin if a muddler is not available.
Important note: Avoid crushing the ice too much.
Remember that crushed ice melts faster than the ice cubes. Therefore, avoid breaking the ice too much or else it will melt before you even need it.
Rather than smashing them into flakes, crush them into tiny pieces, giving them enough time to melt to your desired consistency.
5. Serve the Crushed Soft Ice with Your Preferred Drinks
Once you achieved the desired texture and consistency of your crushed ice, transfer it into a glass. Pour over any drinks of your choice and consume immediately. Crushed soft ice is usually served with cocktails or soft drinks.
6. Store the Crushed Ice on a Plastic Bowl
If you have crushed ice more than the amount you need, you can pour it in a plastic bowl. Keep it in the freezer until the time you need it.
The Variety of Ice Styles
Aside from soft ice, there are many other styles of ice that you can prepare by yourself. Even the fancy gourmet ice usually served at high-end restaurants can now be made at home.
Thanks to different machines like the ice makers and blenders, plus how-to articles and videos, you can equip yourself to enjoy refreshments on a budget. Here are the other varieties of ice you can make:
1. Nugget Ice
The most favorite ice styles are the nugget ice or soft ice as featured in this know-how article. It can be considered as the “candy” in the world of ice because of its smooth, chewable texture. It gives anyone the pleasure of something to munch on when the need arises.
Sonic Drive-ins was the first store to introduce nugget ice. Hence, consumers synonymously call it Sonic ice.
Addicting as it is, nugget ice is excellent for cocktails, juices, snow cones, and smoothies. Some people love incorporating it with ice cream, salads, among other foods.
2. Crushed Ice
Similar to nugget ice, crushed ice is used in cocktails, smoothies, ice creams, and desserts. It is the kind of ice that everyone grew up with.
You can buy it in stores, but you can easily make it at home. It is similar to achieving soft ice by freezing club soda and smashing it in a Lewis bag or a blender.
3. Cubed Ice
Cubed ice, full cubes or half cubes, has a hard and clear texture. It melts gradually, making it excellent for juices, sodas, and some cocktail mixes. It is available in stores, but you can also make cubed ice at home.
Just fill in the ice tray with clean water. However, it might take more time to achieve hard and clear cubed ice in your freezer compared to ones from a dedicated ice maker.
4. Bullet Ice
In terms of hardness, bullet ice falls between the nugget ice and cubed ice. It is not as chewable as the nugget ice, and it melts faster than the cubed ice.
With the presence of minerals and air in the water, bullet ice has a cloudy appearance. It has an elongated shape with a hole in the center.
Bullet ice is best served with drinking water, carbonated drinks, and some cocktails. If you are into outdoor activities like camping and RVs, this type of ice is the most appropriate to bring on a trip.
While you can make bullet ice using a portable home ice maker, you can also make some on ice trays with bullet-design molds. However, it takes more than an hour to freeze the water, as compared to the six to 10 minutes in the ice maker.
5. Gourmet Ice
Gourmet ice has a crystal transparent look and extra hard texture. It stays solid for hours, making it best for cocktails, whiskeys, and scotch. It is commonly found in events and restaurants, but you can make some with a home ice maker.
For gourmet ice, two good examples of ice maker are the Luma Comfort Clear Ice Maker and the Scotsman CU50GA-1A Undercounter Gourmet Ice Maker. Without these ice makers, though, you can make gourmet ice with an ice tray, freezer, and clear, flat water. It won’t produce hard ice and work as fast as the ice maker, but it will be good enough if you’re on a budget.
6. Shaved Ice
While nugget ice is also suitable for snow cones, the shaved ice is the most ideal. It is the kind of ice used in supermarkets to keep the fish and meat fresh.
It is made by cutting the ice cubes into thin flakes. These tiny flakes are best achieved by using a dedicated ice shaving machine.
An alternative way to have shaved ice is through the use of a blender. Toss the cubed ice into the glass container and turn it on until the ice breaks into tiny bits. The drawback of this method is that you can’t achieve a consistent size or shaving.
Shaved ice, nugget ice, and bullet ice are best achieved with the soda club. Soda club has numerous water bubbles that contribute to the cloudy appearance yet soft texture that is easy to crush.
Conclusion
Not long ago, the only place where you can have crushed soft ice is in restaurants or stores. Among the different styles of ice, soft ice is the most suitable for serving cocktails, making snow cones, or adding to sweet treats like shakes and yogurt popsicles. For some people, its smooth, chewable surface is addicting.
Knowing how to make soft ice in your home will save you hundreds of bucks. This tip is especially true for people who regularly throw out a house party. It is easy and doesn’t take much of your time.
Nonetheless, if you’re into the hospitality business, buying a dedicated ice machine is a smart investment.