01 Apr Hostess Hack: Fruit Ice Cubes for Water or Cocktails
This super easy hosting hack will make you look so thoughtful and prepared: Serve your beverages with fruit ice cubes. Keep them on hand in your freezer so you’ll always have something ~cool~ to offer your guests. Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to make fruit-infused ice cubes.
Step One: Use the Right Water
You ideally want the ice cubes to be crystal clear and not have that cloudy white look. The key is to use distilled or filtered water and double boil it. So basically I used water from the fridge, boiled it for a few minutes, let it completely cool and then boiled it and let it cool again. I’d recommend covering the pot with a lid during the cooling phase to keep it clean. This process helps get all the air bubbles out of the water. Although this is an easy task, the cooling does take quite a while. It’s best to do this project on a day when you’ll be hanging around at home for a few hours. As a disclaimer, even if you follow these directions to a T, a little bit of cloudiness is still inevitable.
Step Two: Fill with Berries or Other Fruits
I used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries for my ice cubes. I chopped the strawberries into tiny pieces and left the blueberries and raspberries whole. Fill each section of the ice cube tray about halfway full. Lemons, oranges, pineapple, mango and kiwi would also be great for spring or summer cubes. If you’re looking to try this in winter, go for cranberries and rosemary sprigs. Another version I’ve been dying to try is swapping the fruit for edible food-grade flowers.
Step Three: Freeze
Leave them to freeze for a few hours or overnight. The best part about these ice cubes is that you can prep them days or even a week in advance of your event.
Step Four: Serve Your Specialty Ice Cubes
There are so many ways to use these pretty cubes! I love to serve them with water or sparkling water for a refreshing option when friends come over. They are also perfect for cocktails! The flavor is slight but gets stronger as the ice melts. Make sure to use a clear glass to show off your hard work. For a party, add these to your bar cart or DIY bar set-up. They look gorgeous in an ice bucket or glass bowl. Make sure to add a scoop or ice tongs for serving.
Shop my cocktail napkins along with my picks for ice buckets, ice cube trays, serving utensils and more!
Have you tried fruit ice cubes yet? Comment below and let me know!
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