Make Crushed Ice

Making crushed ice is as easy as pie — once you have the right tools. If it's the witching hour and you're hankering for a Make a Mint Julep, or perhaps a mojito, don't fear, dear. Crushed ice is here.

Steps

Wooden Mallet

  1. Shake or bend the ice tray until the ice is removed. Place all the ice cubes into a sealable plastic freezer bag.
  2. Use a nice, big wood mallet to crush the ice, being careful not to tear the bag. If you don't have a wooden mallet, you can use another blunt kitchen object such as a pestle.
    • When crushing the ice, be sure to work slow. Place the sealed ice onto a wooden cutting board, if possible, and methodically crush the ice. Don't get too crazy. That's what happens after the drinking.
  3. Enjoy your crushed ice!

Lewis Bag

  1. Shake or bend the ice tray until the ice is removed. Place all the ice cubes into a Lewis bag. A Lewis bag was originally intended as a coin purse, but now enjoys larger popularity as a venue in which to crush ice. If you don't have a Lewis bag (they are fairly cheap), you can also use a clean pillowcase.[1]
    • The Lewis bag will do quite well for larger quantities of ice. A small sealable plastic bag will only fit enough for one or two cocktails. A Lewis bag, on the other hand, is ideal for making 5+ cocktails at once.
  2. Crush the ice with a baseball bat or a wooden mallet. Again, nice and easy does it. A lot of the moisture from the ice will get absorbed into the Lewis bag, leaving you with a drier ice — ideal for cocktails.
  3. Enjoy your crushed ice!

Food Processor or Blender

  1. Shake or bend the ice tray until the ice is removed. Place all the ice cubes into a food processor or blender. So you want to mechanize your ice-crushing, do you? A heavy-duty food processor or blender is just what the doctor ordered! Other than that painkiller you're about to make yourself.
  2. Set the food processor or blender on "pulse" until most of the ice has been crushed. A few 3-second pulses (fewer than 10 total, most likely) should do.
  3. Enjoy your crushed ice!

Plastic Bag

  1. Fill up a plastic bag with water. Use the resealable bags usually used for holding sandwiches.
  2. Put a knot in the bag. If you've overfilled the bag, you'll need to let out some of the water.
  3. Place the water-filled resealable bag in the freezer. Keep it there until it is frozen solid and is very cold to the touch.
  4. Remove the bag from the freezer. Turn on the hot water faucet in the kitchen.
  5. Hold the frozen bag under the warm water stream. Wait until the water is hot before holding the ice under the stream. It will crack like an ice cube put in a glass.
  6. Lightly bash the bag on something until the ice breaks. The act of bashing will "crush" the ice with ease.
  7. Use as required.

Hammer and Plastic Bag

If you don't own a wooden mallet or a Lewis Bag, you need only use the simplest of instruments that everyone owns.

  1. Put some ice cubes into a plastic bag and lay it on the floor. Do not put it on a wooden floor.
  2. Gather the ice cubes together so they are all in one place. Get the hammer and whack the ice cubes until you can feel that they are crushed.
  3. Shake the crushed ice cubes out and put them in a suitable container or drink.



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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.bonappetit.com/columns/the-foodist/article/3-ways-to-crush-ice-for-a-mint-julep
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