Shaved ice is a delicious summertime treat, and it’s surprisingly easy to make at home.
Shave ice is made by shaving an ice block off its surface layer to form thin, fluffy slivers of ice that are easy to chew. You can use a blender or a food processor to accomplish this.
All you need is some ice and sugar, and you can customize your shaved ice with any flavours you like.
Whether you’re looking for a refreshing snack or an indulgent dessert, shaved ice is the perfect way to cool down this summer.
How to make shaved ice with a blender?
Shaving ice is an art.
You don’t need any special equipment, but make sure you have a high-power blender to get the best results.
The blades of the blender you’re using to shave ice must be sharp. Dull blades can also crush ice, but the product is chunkier. The perfectly smooth and snowy form of shaved ice is possible with sharp blades only.
Sharp blades of a blender should shave chunks off the block of ice and leave behind light, fluffy snow that’s easy to eat.
Before shaving ice with a blender, keep the following tips in mind.
Use regular ice cubes from the freezer, but those will melt quickly and leave you with a watered-down treat.
It’s much better to freeze some water in silicone trays or small paper cups so you’ll have large blocks of solid ice that won’t melt as quickly.
If your blender can’t handle it, you can break the ice into small pieces before blending it.
Add sugar for a sweet kick to your shaved ice, while also helping it to freeze faster and stick together.
Run the blender for 10-20 seconds on pulse mode or ice crush preset.
If there is still some ice left unshaven, repeat the process.
The simplest way to make shaved ice is by blending up a sugar-water mixture with your ice cubes, and then letting the machine shave off snowy bites that you can eat right away. Adding liquid will allow the ice cubes to move onto the blades and blend better.
Try using 1/4 cup of sugar per cup of water, then heat the mixture over low heat to dissolve the sugar. You can also use your favourite granulated sweetener if you prefer. Once cooled to room temperature, pour it over your ice cubes and let them melt before you blend it all.
The shaved ice should be light, fluffy, and taste sweet with a hint of citrus. You can eat it immediately or freeze the shaved ice for another time.
You must make sure the bowl of your blender is big enough to hold all of the ice cubes and sugar, though! If it’s not, you’re going to end up making a mess everywhere.
How to make shaved ice with a Ninja blender?
Ninja blenders are perfect for making shaved ice. They have sharp stacked blades which slice through ice easily. Any model of Ninja blender, including the master prep, is the best choice if you want shaved ice at home regularly.
All you need to do is:
Fill the blender pitcher with ice cubes.
Pour some sugar over the ice cubes.
Turn the blender on and blend until you achieve a snowlike consistency.
I will take no more than a few pulses of 10 seconds.
If done correctly, your shaved ice should come out light and airy with sweet flakes of deliciousness swirled throughout. You can add any flavours you like before blending, such as juice or fruit.
You can serve your shaved ice with toppings like sweetened condensed milk or cream if you’d like to take it up a notch. You can also drizzle additional syrup over the top for even more flavour.
Adding sprinkles is totally optional but highly encouraged!
How to make shaved ice with a Nutribullet?
If you’re using a Nutribullet, you need to use a small blending cup. The amount of ice shaved per run will be lower, but the consistency of the shaved ice will be perfect. If you use a larger cup, some ice will remain unblended.
Can a Vitamix blender make shaved ice?
Vitamix blenders have slightly dull blades, they are good at smashing and crushing ice. To make shaved ice, you need sharp blades.
You can make shaved ice in Vitamix by adding water to ice cubes in a Vitamix blender jar. The water will keep the ice afloat and the vortex will pull the ice down to the blades.
The result will be almost consistent (but slightly crunchy) ice powder. You can strain the excess water from the jar and use the powdered ice separately.
How to make shaved ice more fluffy?
More slicing will result in more fluff. You can blend the ice cubes for longer to make shaved ice more fluffy. Try not to melt the ice!
You can also add some water to the blender.
Shaved ice can lose some of its fluffiness if it’s stored in the freezer for too long, so be sure to eat it right away.
How to make shaved ice by hand?
If you don’t have a blender, not to worry – it’s easy to make your shaved ice with just a little elbow grease.
You can use a grater, which works best for larger chunks of ice and produces a more fluffy snow texture.
Take a large cube of ice, and grate it down to get a fine texture.
FAQs
What’s the difference between a snow cone and shaved ice?
Snow Cones Can Be More Coarse And Crunchy Than Shaved Ice. Shaved Ice Is More Fluffy And Smoother. Shaved Ice Is Often Flavored With Fruit Syrups, While Snow Cones Typically Use Powdered Flavors And Sweeteners.
What are the benefits of shaved ice?
There are many benefits to shaving ice. The texture is much different than regular ice cubes, so this calms your mouth after every bite.
It will also help you increase your metabolism and reduce insomnia by eating some nice shaved ice.
Do you have to blend sugar syrup before making your shaved ice?
No, but it makes the shaving process a little easier and ensures that you get uniform shaved ice instead of chunky pieces of ice cubes.