Flavored Ice Cubes
When the temperature in Boston hovered above 90º and stayed there in July, instead of just cranking up the AC, we looked around for other ways to cool ourselves down. A nice ice-cold drink was the most popular solution here at the office. Besides helping us stay cool, drinking a lot of liquids ensured our hydration.
Inspired by a friend’s comment, we began experimenting with flavored ice cubes. However, the cubes would crack and splinter when we tried to get them out of the tray. After a few unsuccessful attempts, we realized the problem was our trays. The best way to make ice cubes, we have found, is with a silicone ice tray! The cubes don’t stick to the silicone and the flexible tray lets the cubes pop out easily without cracking. Once we solved the cube removal step, it was off to the races!
When making flavored ice cubes, one can mix any combination of ingredients together as long as they will freeze. Mint and lemon cubes are good choices for use in lemonade, Diet Coke, or even just plain water.
While excellent for non-alcoholic drinks, they work equally well in something a bit stronger. To those who may be thinking of incorporating their favorite alcohol into the ice cubes: please refer to your high school chemstry text to refresh yourself (geddit?) as to why that would be a challenge…
Another excellent idea is to use the trays to make coffee ice cubes for iced coffee! The froze cubes will chill the liquid without diluting it, a problem when using ice cubes made with water. Stay cool!
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