The Best Homemade Strawberry Ices
The other day I went to market around the corner from my
apt. The strawberries were on sale for
$1.99 per lb. I promptly walked home
with 7 packages. One whole package of
strawberries for the same price as a packet of gum. What a steal!
As I unloaded them into my fridge, I imagined myself
drinking a smoothie every morning for the next 30 days. Hmmm. What other
fun things can I do with this bounty?
I crushed the berries well with my hands, leaving all the
seeds and pulp in the mixture. Why take
out what makes a strawberry a strawberry?
I dissolved some sugar and water in a pot along with half the berries
and when the mixture began to simmer, I pulled it off the stove, let it cool
and mixed with other berries.
Next some fresh lemon juice. Into the freezer for 2 hours, then a scrape. Another 2 hours and another scrape. This wasn’t
as easy to do with all the pulp, I thought, my right arm tiring.
When the ices melted slightly, the entire rectangle loosened
and moved about in it’s own container. I
was frustrated that I wasn’t quite getting the same texture as my other
granitas. Was I going to have to throw
this all away or sit around my apt getting brain freeze sucking on blocks of
strawberry ice?
Then, I had an epiphany.
Flip it! And there it was.
The shiny, shocking crystalline surface of the bottom side
of a marino’s ice cup. Suddenly I was 6 and in the park behind skyview. My lips were bright red and my frayed little
jean shorts were a little sticky from the drippy ices falling off my flat mini
wooden spoon.
The ice cream truck played its repetitive jingle over and
over outside the entrance to the park.
This was the soundtrack to summer in the 80’s; Those countless moments
sitting by the monkey bars, scraping and scraping until the sun beat down hot
enough to melt my ices so I could wedge that little spoon between the yellow
paper cup and little block of red ice, flip it and finally get to the sugary
goodness.
If it wasn’t fun dip, it was marino’s and now before my eyes
was the closest, most natural version of my favorite summertime treat. I’ve made this a few times now for kids (of
all ages) and they go wild for them. Enjoy! From my kitchen to yours!
Homemade Strawberry Ices
Serves 6-8
2 1/2 lbs. Strawberries*
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Water
1 Lemon, seeded and squeezed
Stem the strawberries and place in a bowl. Crush them to a pulp in your hands*,
extracting as much of the juice as possible.
Place half the strawberries in a pot with the sugar and
water. Heat over medium and stir until
the sugar dissolves and syrup turns bright red.
Combine with the uncooked strawberries and add lemon juice as needed to
balance out the sweetness.
Place in a pyrex dish or large rectangular casserole. Freeze for 2 hours and use a fork to scrape
against the surface of the ices. Freeze
another 2 hours and scrape again (You may loosen the mixture and flip over to
access the icy crystals below the strawberry pulp. This will be easier to scrape.)
For a creamier, sorbet-like texture, quickly puree the ices
in small batches in a blender and return to the freezer for an hour before
serving. Serve alone or with fresh
berries.
Cook’s Notes:
*Depending on the season, ripeness and batch of
strawberries, the sweetness and overall flavor of the berry will affect the
outcome of the ices. Use the freshest,
most flavorful berries you can find.
Use the lemon juice to balance out the sweetness of the ices.
**A neater way to do this is to place the berries in a
Ziploc bag, let out the air and seal.
Mash well and continue as directed.
Also a fun cooking activity to do with the kids!
Key words: Danielle Rehfeld, Stawberry Ices, Strawberry,
Summer Desserts, Easy Desserts, Dairy free, gluten free, Kid-friendly
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