Ice Ice Baby: 5 Creative Takes on the Ice Cube
While we’re all about staying hydrated and mixing up cocktails on the rocks, the ice cube business is hardly booming. Where’s the fun in a plain old cube of frozen water? This recipe is as simple as finding a pair of ingredients you like, chopping them up, and dropping them in an ice cube tray.
Plus if you’ve got herbs and fruits that are hanging on for dear life, this is a great way to get a little more out of them before they go bad. And if cubes aren’t your jam, check out our roundup of off-the-wall ice cube trays.
Ingredients:
– cucumbers and basil
– fig and rosemary
– lime and mint
– lemon and honey
– raspberries and blackberries
– Tools: ice cube trays! (we used these Tovolo ones that make perfect cubes)
1. Cucumber and Basil
Dice up the cucumber and basil and place it in the tray.
This combination is a great way to flavor up a glass of water or seltzer, but would also be delicious in a gin and tonic on a hot summer day.
2. Fig and Rosemary
Quarter your figs and pull of sprigs of rosemary off their stems. Place a little bit of everything in your ice cube tray.
These would taste particularly delicious in a glass of hot apple cider, cold ginger beer, or a stiff glass of bourbon on the rocks.
3. Lime and Mint
Create a few wedges of lime, and then a round of tinier ones. Chop up the mint. Squeeze a bit of lime into the tray along with your lime and mint pieces.
These are perfect for mojitos! Grab a little soda, rum, and simple syrup and you’re good to go.
4. Lemon and Honey
Slice your lemons and then cut them into mini wedges. Squirt a bit of honey into your ice cube tray, add lemons and a little squeeze of lemon juice for good measure.
5. Raspberries and Blackberries
Berrylicious! The prep for these couldn’t be simpler. Find the smallest ones in the carton, and place them in your ice cube tray.
We think these would be yummy in a vodka soda, or could be great for smoothie-making.
Now we’ll show you a few more photos of the step-by-step.
Ingredients are in the tray at this point. Feel free to mix and match if you’ve got extra ice trays.
Pour water into the tray – be careful not to overflow, you don’t want to lose ingredients.
Place in the freezer for a few hours.
Pop ’em out whenever you’re looking to add a special spark to a glass of water, cocktail, or cup of tea.
These are great for a party as they instantly make everything you serve look super fancy and gourmet.
What creative ingredients have you tried putting in ice cubes? Let us know your ideas in the comments below or come find us on Twitter. And be sure to stay cool! ;)
