How To Make Crushed Ice
Crushes can be achieved when you have the right gadget. When you’re in the mood for an ice-cold mint julep, or perhaps a mojito, there’s no need to buy pre-crushed ice.
See Also- How To Blend Ice Smoothly
You can use the following process to crush ice;
- Using a Blender
- Crushing ice in a Lewis Bag
- Muddling Ice in a Cocktail Shaker
USING A BLENDER
- Bring out the ice from the freezer and put it into a blender: Extract the ice cubes or ice blocks from the freezer and place them directly in your blender. Bring in as much as you want to use, or make a large batch to keep in the freezer.
Note that all the pieces of ice must be the same size.
- Pour the ice till ice of the desired size is crushed: Place the lid on the blender firmly. Use the pulse button to melt the ice in small bursts until there are no big pieces. If there is no pulse button on your blender, use the fastest speed level for short bursts.
- Pour the crushed ice into a strainer to drain surplus water: Some of the ice may dissolve by the engine heat in the blender. Verse it through a strainer so you’re left with just the ice and don’t get watered-down drinks. If you don’t have a strainer, you should place something over the top of the blender to cover the ice, and slowly pour out the water.
- Use the crushed ice directly, or place it in a freezer bag: Place some icing leftovers in a small, sealable freezer bag and place it in the fridge for next time you need it. Try to make the beverages as quickly as possible, because crushed ice melts quicker than bigger pieces. When you freeze crushed ice, some of it will probably freeze together again. It will be easy to break it apart again, though, by reaching it inside the bag in which you put it.
CRUSHING ICE IN A LEWIS BAG
The ice has to be as cold and dry as possible to make broken ice very nice from it. Either ice form or scale will work. Remember that if the blocks orbits are all roughly the same size it will be harder to break the ice.
You’ll need more ice than you expect, as it needs more crushed ice to fill up a glass than ice cubes can need. Having only twice as many ice cubes or bits of ice as it would take to fill your glasses halfway is a good idea.
A Lewis pack is a cloth container, which is used mainly to break the ice. Place the ice inside the bag as soon as you remove it from the freezer so it won’t start melting. You can get a Lewis bag online or at a supply store for bartending. Usually, they come with a wooden mallet also to break the rock.
That makes a Lewis bag so perfect for breaking the ice is trapping the excess moisture in the fabric. That way, fresh bits of crushed ice is left to you.
NOTE:
Instead, you can use a clean, lint-free towel, or canvas piece of a towel if you do not have a Lewis pack. Wrap the ice in a sheet or in the towel and it will be crushed so nothing will float out.
On a hard surface, position the Lewis bag and hold the end sealed. Choose a surface that will not be harmed when hammering on the ice in your bag. Use your non-dominant hand to close the bag and release your dominant hand to smash. This is the step you want to do as soon as possible because the ice will begin to melt when the freezer is removed.
Then, dip the ice with a wooden briefcase or other heavy items into the jar. Lewis bags are often fitted with a wooden ice pick. If you don’t have a wooden tool, use another noisy cooking utensil such as a rolling pin, or a meat tenders. If you don’t have any heavy cooking utensils, you can even have a normal hammer.
You can do so in a plastic bag of ice if you have no towels or cloth containers. Only note that the excess water will not be drained into a plastic bag and a break in the bag is easy to crack.
Stop if no large pieces are left. To test the ice, open the bag and see if bits have a diameter greater than 0.64–1.27 cm. Fill up a sack and continue to break down until no chunks are larger. Note, the more delicate you crack the glass, the quicker the drinks melt. You can find the best quality of crushed ice with a little practice.
MUDDLING ICE IN A COCKTAIL SHAKER
In a cocktail shaker, place ample ice for a beer. Fill the shaker with ice cubes nearly halfway. Take it straight from the refrigerator and throw it right into the cocktail shaker as you plan to make the drink. This is an ideal method for making one drink. Not to mention that if you make a drink, when you are finished crushing it, you can just go ahead and dump the ingredients over the cream!
Hold up on a hard surface the cocktail shaker. Place the cocktail shaker on a rough face such as a sturdy table or countertop with an unparalleled side. Ensure that it is at a safe office for you to crack it. You might also do it with a really strong pint glass if you do not have a cocktail shaker. Make sure it has enough thick glass that the muddler can be a blast.
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Use a strong muddler to break down the ice until the desired stability is reached. Hold the dominant hand tightly with the palm. Smash the cocktail shaker straight into the ice until the ice splits into the size and shape that you want to drink. Either a regular wood or cocktail muddler of stone would work fine.
Whether it is a soda or a drink of any kind, pour over the ice cream, put a cloth on the shaker, and get the drink nice and cold.