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Summer drinks you can make with the right tools and some patience
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It’s a hot day, and what could be more refreshing than a delicious homemade slushie? Honestly, slushies are still great even if it’s cold outside. Making your own slushie is super easy, and you just need a few basic ingredients. Read on to learn how to make a slushie using a blender, an ice cream maker, or even just your freezer. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Freezer Slushie
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 cups cold water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons flavored extract
- 5 to 10 drops food coloring
Blender Slushie
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups ice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons flavored extract
- 5 to 10 drops food coloring
Ice Cream Maker Slushie
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 cups cold water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons flavored extract
- 5 to 10 drops food coloring
Steps
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Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 4 cups water. Pour the sugar and water into a bowl and stir the mixture until the sugar is no longer visible. This way your slushie won't taste grainy after it freezes.- In place of the sugar and water combination, you can use 4 cups of your favorite drink. Try making a slushie out of any type of soda, fruit juice, chocolate milk, and even coffee! [1] X Research source
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Mix in flavored extract and food coloring. You need 1 1/2 teaspoons extract and 5 to 10 drops of food coloring. Taste the mixture and add more or less according to your preference.
- If you want a creamy slushie, stir in a tablespoon or two of cream. This pairs especially well with orange or vanilla extract.
- To make it a little fancier, try adding a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of lemon zest.
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Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish. The sides should be a few inches high so the liquid won't spill out.
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Cover the dish with plastic wrap. You could also use a lid if your dish comes with one. -
Freeze the mixture for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Each time you stir, you'll break up the frozen ice that has formed. Over time this creates the classic slushie texture. After doing this for about 3 hours, your slushie should be just right. -
Scoop the slushie mixture into glasses. You'll have enough for two large or four small slushies. Enjoy your delicious concoction.
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Dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 2 cups of water. Dissolving the sugar before you begin will help you avoid a grainy texture. Pour the sugar and water into a bowl and stir until you no longer see individual grains of sugar. -
Add flavor and color. To imitate the classic slushie, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of your favorite flavored extract (like raspberry, strawberry, lemon, lime, coconut or vanilla) and 5 or more drops of food coloring. Use a long-handled spoon to stir it all together. You can add a little more flavored extract or coloring to taste. [2] X Research source
- Do you love soda-flavored slushies? Make one by freezing you favorite soda to make ice cubes. Replace the water and ice with cold soda and soda ice cubes, and leave out the sugar.
- Don't have time to buy flavored extract? You can use a packet of Kool-Aid powder in place of flavor and food coloring.
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Blend the sugar water with 2 cups of ice. Just pour the sugar water into your blender and add 2 cups of whole ice cubes. This method works best if your blender is powerful enough to grind ice finely, creating the classic slushie texture.
- You might want to test-grind some ice cubes to make sure your blender can handle it; if not, just try another method.
- If you like your slushies thinner, add another 1/2 cup of water. If you like a thicker, icier texture, reduce the water by 1/2 cup.
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Blend the mixture on high speed. Depending on the strength of your blender, it can take just a few pulses or several minutes to get the texture of a slushie. Keep going until the ice has been crushed and the mixture takes on the right consistency.
- It can help to periodically stir the mixture with a long-handled spoon to help the ice circulate.
- If your blender isn't quite powerful enough, transfer the mixture to a food processor and process it in batches.
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Taste the slushie. If you're happy with the flavor and level and sweetness, the slushie is ready. Add more sugar, flavoring, or food coloring to make the slushie just right. If you add extra ingredients, be sure to blend the slushie thoroughly. [3] X Research source
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Enjoy the slushie. Divide the mixture into glasses and drink it through a straw for an authentic slushie experience. You'll have enough for two large or four small slushies.
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Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 4 cups water. Pour the sugar and water into a bowl and stir until you no longer see individual grains of sugar. This will improve the texture of your slushie.
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Mix in flavored extract and food coloring. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons of your favorite flavored extract and 5 to 10 drops of food coloring to match. The following color and flavor combinations result in deliciously appealing slushies:
- Raspberry extract and blue food coloring
- A combination of cherry and vanilla extract and red food coloring
- A combination of lemon and lime extract with yellow and green food coloring
- Orange extract with orange food coloring
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Process the mixture in your ice cream maker for 20 minutes. Since you don't want the slushie mixture to freeze as solid as ice cream, just pour it into your ice cream maker and process it for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check the slushie mixture to see if it's the right consistency, and keep processing if necessary. [4] X Research source
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Ladle your slushie mixture into glasses. You'll have enough for two large or four small slushies. Enjoy them with a straw for the classic experience.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionDoes it have to be 2 hours and thirty minutes, or can it be less?Community AnswerYou will need to leave it in the freezer for at least 2 hours so that it can freeze properly. You can, however, check your slushie every 30 minutes, and then take it out when it reaches the consistency you like. It might be after 1 hour and 30 minutes, or it might be after 3 hours.
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QuestionWhat can I use in place of food colouring?Community AnswerYou can use a juice or soda and that will be as a place of food coloring and flavoring extract. But you don't need coloring, that's just optional.
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QuestionCan I still make a slushie without the food coloring?Community AnswerThe coloring is strictly for appearances. It doesn't have any effect on the taste. So, yes, you can make it without the coloring.
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Tips
- Always taste your mixture to make sure it's sweet and flavorful enough before freezing it.Thanks
- As an alternative, just get your favorite drink or beverage; put it in the freezer for 2 hours, after 2 hours, slowly take the cold drink or beverage, and give it a little strong tap on the side. If your drink or beverage is in a bottle, just tilt it up and down for at least 5 seconds; there is your slushie!Thanks
- If you don't own a blender and don't want to wait 2 hours for it to freeze in the freezer, use a smoothie maker instead, since it works mostly the same. However, the texture may be slightly off.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Fill a ziplock bag with a drink, seal it, and put it into another ziplock. Fill the outer ziplock with ice and 4 tablespoons of salt, then shake the bag vigorously until your drink freezes. The bag will be super cold, so wear gloves!
- Put crushed ice into a cup, add a flavor packet to a bottle of water, pour bottled water into the cup of ice, stir, and drink.
- Put about 15 strawberries in your blender with 8 ice cubes and 2 cups of milk. Add in 3-4 tablespoons of sugar, then blend.
- Freeze a juice box, then crush and squeeze it until it’s the texture you want.
Submit a Tip
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Warnings
- Do not put too much ice in or the blender won't turn. You may have to process your slushie in batches.Thanks
- Do not use a smoothie processor unless necessary, as the ice cubes will dissolve into the sugar water.Thanks
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References
- ↑ http://www.thankyourbody.com/recipe-homemade-fruit-slushies/
- ↑ http://www.lovefromtheoven.com/2013/06/17/easy-homemade-slushee-recipe/
- ↑ http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2012/07/3-minute-homemade-slushies/
- ↑ http://www.lovefromtheoven.com/2013/06/17/easy-homemade-slushee-recipe/
- Videos provided by DigitalSkill
About This Article
Article Summary
X
To make a slushie in a blender, start by allowing the sugar to dissolve in the water as this will help prevent your drink from being grainy. Add the flavored extract of your choice, like raspberry or lemon, then stir in 5 drops of food coloring. To blend, add the sugar water and ice cubes to your blender and blend until the cubes are crushed. If you don't have a blender, pour the sugar water into a freezer safe container and freeze it for 3 hours, stirring the mixture every 30 minutes to break up the ice. For tips on how to make a slushie in an ice cream maker, keep reading!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I enjoyed the way of making my slushie with the freezer. It was delicious, I recommend using apple cider, apple juice, or lemonade. I think the juice made from scratch is a little too sweet, so I used the listed juices above instead. There's also another way to make your slushie with 2 bags in under 5 minutes." ..." more
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"I enjoyed the way of making my slushie with the freezer. It was delicious, I recommend using apple cider, apple juice, or lemonade. I think the juice made from scratch is a little too sweet, so I used the listed juices above instead. There's also another way to make your slushie with 2 bags in under 5 minutes."
..."
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"I like that you include the option of juice or any other flavored drink. I want to make a freezer slushie, but I don't have flavoring, just regular beverages. Some websites I have seen don't list the alternatives, just flavor extract. Thanks."
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"I liked the the tips, such as the tip that said
"Freeze your beverage for two hours then take it out and give it a hard tap and it will turn straight to slushie.""
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"I loved this slushie! I made the freezer slushie with raspberry Kombucha and it was perfect! It was just the right consistency and it was as fluffy as snow."
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"The Use a Blender tip was most helpful, even vanilla extract works! This was great and very helpful."
