If you’re somebody who entertains regularly, it’s important to have some crushed ice on hand. This item enhances most of your drinks like mint juleps, iced teas and coffees, and many other types of beverages and mocktails. The easiest way to get them is to use an ice maker or a food processor. But if you don’t have either of these items, worry not. Here are four methods that you can use to make crushed ice at home.
A Large Spoon and a Tea Towel
The only things you need for this are some ice cubes, a large spoon, a tea towel, and also a healthy dose of upper arm strength. Start by taking some ice cubes and placing them in the middle of the tea towel. Wrap the tea towel around the ice cubes tightly and twist it, so that the ice cubes don’t escape their confines. Then take the big spoon, smash the cubes into crushed pieces, and voila, you have crushed ice at home.
Sealable Bag and a Rolling Pin
This is a great way to not only get some crushed ice but also deal with some stored anger. For this, take a plastic ziplock or a freezer-safe silicone bag and fill it halfway with ice. Place the water-filled bag in the freezer. When the water turns to ice, take it out and using a rolling pin, turn it into crushed ice. Roll the pin back and forth until you get the desired consistency of ice.
Lewis Bag and a Mallet
A Lewis Bag is an ice bag that is made especially for the bartender to crush ice. The sturdy canvas pouch is filled with ice and then pounded on by the mallet to crush it. The cloth absorbs the excess water, making sure there is limited drink dilution when you add the crushed ice. Also, it’s the opted choice of bartenders as it gives them more control over the size and consistency of the ice.
Cocktail Shaker and a Muddler
These are items in most homes that have a bar in them. And even if you don’t have one, these tools are a great addition to your host equipment. Add the ice to the shaker, making sure that you only add small amounts at a time. Using a muddler, press down on the ice to crush it into pieces. So don’t combine this time with attempts to crush other ingredients like herbs or cherries as these delicate items are not an ideal companion for the hard ice.