How to make clear ice at home: four proven ways to freeze. Making ice sculptures with your own hands

Banal, at first glance, the situation: you approach a friend or relative and ask: “We need transparent ice. How to make sure that the cubes are not cloudy and cracked, and even without the specific smell of the freezer? The strangest thing is that in 99.9% of cases, in response, you will receive a recommendation to stick the ice mold in the freezer and wait a couple of hours, accompanied by a mocking look. Yes, yes, it will always seem to the interlocutor that you have asked a ridiculous and ridiculous question, the answer to which even a first grader knows. But he will remain in this happy confidence until he himself tries to make transparent ice. It seems that everyone understands and knows how to make ice cubes, but in practice, not everyone succeeds.

There is a problem

Any modern refrigerator in its standard package contains an egg tray and shelves of various sizes and purposes, as well as a miniature mold for freezing water. By the way, resourceful housewives not only use it for its intended purpose, but also freeze aromatic herbs, berry, fruit and vegetable purees in it, which are then used to prepare various dishes.

Such skill, however, does not mean at all that at least half of the highly experienced girls are aware of how to prepare the elementary component of cocktails and soft drinks - transparent ice. How to make it crystal clear and beautiful, the way it is served in bars, restaurants or shown in television commercials?

The usual one always gives an unexpected and rather unsightly result. The cubes look unaesthetic, they contain inclusions of unknown origin, multiple chips and cracks, in addition, they have an uneven consistency.

Indispensable condition

So what's the deal? Why is it so difficult to get clear ice at home? How to make it clean, like a tear, smooth and shiny? The answer to the question is quite simple: the cubes will then turn out to be ideal when conditions favor it. There are several of them, and now we will talk about them.

Firstly, the raw materials from which you plan to make perfectly transparent ice must also be ideal. What does this mean? It's simple: tap water is not suitable for us. It is quite difficult to determine the composition in the substance that is supplied through pipes by public utilities. Impurities of metals, chemicals and other muck during freezing do not allow water molecules to crystallize as expected, they break the initially clear structure of ice.

Secondly, liquids often contain air, small bubbles prevent the frozen water from becoming transparent and smooth. This leads to the conclusion: the water must be clean and not contain gases. It can become an ideal raw material, but doctors strongly do not recommend using it in the diet.

So, how to make clear ice at home? First of all, you need to prepare the raw materials. For this purpose, industrially purified drinking water is suitable, but not mineral, enriched with salts and minerals, but simple table and non-carbonated. Before pouring the liquid into the ice mold, it must be boiled. During heating, air bubbles will evaporate from it, which greatly increases the level of transparency and purity of ice. You can also use the water that flows from the tap, but it must be cleaned with a household filter, and then also boiled. To achieve the maximum effect, the procedure can be repeated twice, that is, alternately filter the water, boil, clean again, and then bring to a boil again.

Ice "poop"

We figured out the quality of water, but creating the right microclimate for freezing will be an equally important factor. In general, this topic is likely to excite lovers of soft drinks (of different levels of strength). Cloudy cubes in a glass of soda or alcohol are quite suitable for personal needs, but you don’t really want to serve guests with such drinks, so the question of how to make transparent ice cubes is relevant for many people.

It has been empirically observed that the ice then turns out to be cloudy and ugly when it freezes unevenly. To reduce the possibility of temperature fluctuations, it is important to quickly freeze water in a stable microclimate.

Here already the opinions of experts are somewhat different. Some argue that the faster the ice forms, the more beautiful it will be, and for this, water must be placed in the freezer at the lowest possible value on the thermometer. Others, on the contrary, advise setting the thermostat to -1 Cº and letting the water freeze in such conditions, the main thing is not to open the chamber in order to avoid warm air from outside.

Holiday with a bang

Many readers may be interested in the question of how entertainment establishments manage to create a large number of ice cubes. How to make transparent ice so that it is enough for hundreds of visitors and guests? To do this, use special units - ice makers. With their help, you can freeze a lot of water, they maintain the optimum temperature inside the chamber, which allows you to make the ice transparent.

But even when working with such a machine, it is important to observe certain conditions. In addition to the fact that the quality of the water must correspond to the specified parameters (the absence of impurities is mandatory), batches of ice must be made at the same time. That is, adding water to the cells while there are already ready-made cubes in the chamber will lead to a poor end result. The liquid is best used at room temperature: as practice shows, cooler water freezes unevenly, and the ice turns cloudy.

cold art

The last but no less curious question is how to make ice transparent at home if it is needed for sculpture? The ice statues and figures are a sumptuous sight. Their creators, without exaggeration, can be called great masters of their craft. Some of them create magnificent masterpieces, working on their work all day long in terrible conditions, so that grateful viewers can enjoy the winter fairy tale.

But here's the problem: where to get blocks of ice of such colossal dimensions so that huge sculptures can be carved out of them? Sometimes artificial ice is used for this, but it is very expensive, in addition, blanks are made in standard sizes, which do not always suit the sculptor.

In winter, the most acceptable option would be to use natural ice, which is cut down in blocks directly in reservoirs. This is a rather dangerous trade, because there is always a serious danger of being under the ice, and you have to work in special clothes so as not to get wet.

As you can see, the chances of making a lump on your own - at home, in the freezer - are extremely small. In winter, of course, you can freeze ice in any container if the air temperature allows it, but with some reservations.

To create ice masterpieces, you must use a solid block of uniform consistency. Loose ice will quickly crumble and melt, and this will not make it possible to carve a beautiful sculpture.

Working in a very cold weather is not only difficult, but also dangerous - the ice freezes so hard that during processing, very hard and sharp fragments fly off from it, which can easily hurt you. In addition, it will not work to glue several parts of the product together with water - it will freeze too quickly, and warm liquid can cause the entire composition to explode due to a sharp temperature drop.

You can create ice blocks yourself using special freezers. They are imported and domestic production. The advantage of Russian freezers is the ability to order a camera according to individual sizes.

Ice is an amazing material.

You can build a real castle from it, make a slide for children, carve sculptures, create a decorative composition for decorating a festive table, make a bar counter and even dishes - for example, cocktail glasses. Professionals from studios specializing in ice construction can help you decorate a yard, suburban area or interior in an unusual way.

But during the New Year holidays, it is much more interesting to become a creator yourself - and to attract family members: you are guaranteed an unforgettable family leisure.

Ice sculptures: professionals work

In Russia, the construction of snow towns and ice slides have long been folk winter fun. And the tradition of erecting ice sculptures dates back to the reign of Empress Anna

Ioannovna. In 1740, for the clownish wedding of Prince Golitsyn, she ordered the construction of the Ice House on the Neva - between the Admiralty and the Winter Palace. The house, 17 meters long, 5 meters wide and about 6 meters high, was built from ice blocks held together by water. Ice cannons were displayed in front of it, ice dolphins flaunted at the gate, ice pyramids towered on both sides of the entrance. Everything inside the house was made of ice - furniture, utensils, a fireplace, and even a bathhouse. The authors of the unique project were the best architects of that time. Since then, in the literal sense of the word, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, technology has stepped far ahead, and ice cases

masters have learned how to create real masterpieces - and demonstrate them at any time of the year, not only in winter. On New Year and Christmas holidays, you can admire their work on the central streets and squares of the city, at numerous competitions and festivals of ice sculptures that take place in parks - Luzhniki, Sokolniki, Kuzminki, Krasnaya Presnya. There is even a year-round Ice Museum in Moscow.

What can be seen at ice sculpture festivals and competitions:

• ice palaces, slides and labyrinths;
• the most diverse and fantasy sculptures - Santa Claus, Snow Maiden and other fairy-tale characters, animals and birds, cartoon characters, ice chess and much more - these are real outdoor art objects created by talented sculptors.

But the activities of professional studios for the production of ice compositions are not limited to participation in festivals. For private clients they offer:

• installation of ice figures in suburban areas;
• production of interior ice figures, which can be both decorative and functional - used as original vases, candlesticks, seafood dishes, berries, fruits, ice cream, glasses and vessels for drinks;
• construction of ice bar counters equipped with everything necessary for making cocktails;
• unusual gift wrapping - for example, rings placed inside an ice bar look very impressive;
• in addition, ice logos and outdoor advertising are in high demand.

Prices depend on the number of ice blocks used and the complexity of manufacturing. For example, for a figure measuring 50 by 50 by 25 cm, you will need 0.5 blocks, it will cost from 2,000 to 5,000 rubles; for a figure with dimensions of 195 * 100 * 25 cm, 3-5 blocks are needed, the price is from 15,000 to 30,000 rubles; for a figure with dimensions of 500 x 300 x 25 cm, 20 blocks are needed, the price is from 100,000 to 300,000 rubles.

Material for making ice sculptures

The figures are made from ice blocks. The standard size of one is 100 x 50 x 25 cm, weight is about 120 kg. To create large sculptures, several blocks are needed, which are placed on top of each other and poured with water - in order for the seams to “stick together” and a monolithic form is obtained. Blocks can be purchased from companies that specialize in ice carving at any time of the year. In winter, the cost of one is from 1,500 rubles. without delivery.

What is an ice block made of?

For its manufacture, two types of ice can be used - natural or artificial.
Natural, or natural, is river or lake ice. River water is not held in high esteem by professionals: it is not as transparent as in a lake, where, thanks to springs, it acquires a beautiful bluish or greenish tint. Artificial is ice from an icemaker. It is he who is preferred by masters, since he turns out to be perfectly transparent, like a crystal. The fact is that in the ice maker, water is cleaned of impurities and does not stagnate.

In winter, sculptures, if the temperature outside is below zero, are created at the place of their installation, in warm weather - in cold stores at a temperature of -10°C. Do not be afraid that they will melt quickly: even at a temperature of + 25 ° C, they will stand for at least 4 hours.

Sculptures can be not only transparent or matte, but also colored - companies have special technologies for painting ice.

As a rule, blocks are sawn in half and the inner surface is painted or inscriptions, patterns, numbers are applied to it.

Then the blocks are connected by pouring water. Structures made of ice with illumination look very beautiful - any shade can be achieved with light.

The process of making an ice sculpture with your own hands

Before starting work, the master draws a sketch. Then he puts ice blocks on top of each other, “glues” the joints with water, the number of blocks depends on the size of the product.

For cutting, he uses saws, chisels and cutters, similar to those used for woodworking. It is very important that the tools are well sharpened.

To create a sculpture measuring 2 * 2 x 2 m, an experienced carver will need an average of 2 to 5 days. Short thaws are not terrible for outdoor sculptures, and if the above-zero temperature lasts for several days in a row, it is better to cover them with polyethylene.

DIY ice sculptures

If, inspired by the work of professionals, you want to feel like Pygmalion and sculpt your own ice Galatea - everything is in your hands. The main thing is to stock up ice suitable for creativity and use the right tools.

You will need:

1. ice, water;
2. tools
3. gasoline or hand saw, straight and angled scrapers, chisel, chisel, cutters;
4. additional materials - stainless steel molds, wooden formwork, plastic containers, soap dishes, gouache or acrylic paints, polyethylene, plasticine.

Ice

You can order ready-made ice blocks or food ice, but it is much more interesting to prepare it yourself. Freezing tap water is not suitable: the ice will turn out cloudy. It is best to use natural ice. Using a hand or chainsaw, you need to cut a block about 100 x 50 x 25 cm in size from the ice cover, preferably not a flowing reservoir.

The fact is that due to the current in the river, the ice is washed away from below - and does not reach the thickness required for work. If you have a pond on your site, ice from it is also quite suitable, the only condition is that the depth of the reservoir must be at least 50 cm. The block size of 100 x 50 x 25 cm is optimal, since it will be inconvenient to work with smaller blocks, and large - difficult to pull out of the pond.

In our middle lane, in natural springs, ice reaches the required thickness by the end of December - beginning of January. If the winter turns out to be warm, you will have to use artificial material.

It is easy to prepare it.

Take a stainless steel form or wooden formwork, cover the bottom with plastic wrap. You can also use plastic containers or soap dishes as a mold for small parts. Fill with prepared water purified from impurities and freeze in the freezer. True, in this case, freezing ice to create a large-sized figure will not work - after all, the volume of the freezer is not too large.

Process

• Sculpt a prototype of the future sculpture from plasticine. Alternatively, the sketch can be drawn on large white paper, wetted, and then applied to the ice mold and cut out along the outline.
• Ice blocks must be connected into a monolith. To do this, put the blocks prepared in advance one on one, pour water and immediately lay the next layer. Continue until you get the array you want. If you want the figure to be colored, add gouache or acrylic paint to the inner layer.
• Take a manual or chainsaw. Sawing off large pieces, give the sculpture an outline. It should be remembered that ice is a plastic material and can be easily processed at temperatures down to -28°C, but you need to work at temperatures from -2°C.
• To work out the details, you will need a straight and angled scrapers. The first - to break off the ice, the second - to turn the figure, make grooves and stripes. By the way, for the same purpose, you can use a chisel or chisel. Check out the sketch.
• When the figure is ready, pour water over it and wrap it tightly with polyethylene. Take it off after an hour.

DIY ice slide

Children will be delighted if, together with their parents, they build a slide for the most fun winter entertainment.

Process

1. Carefully prepare the area where the slide will be located: it must be safe, without bushes, stumps and trees.
2. Roll up snowballs - there should be a lot of them. Lay them in a slide, leave for a couple of days for the snow to compact. Level the surface with a shovel, make sides and steps.
3. From a hose or watering can, pour hot water over the slide and wait until the surface hardens. Then level again with a shovel and pour hot water again. All - you can ride.

Do-it-yourself iceware

A win-win way to surprise guests with an unusual serving is to make dishes from ice for a festive feast: glasses, glasses, glasses, vases for fruit and ice cream, coasters for bottles. To make shot glasses or goblets, take silicone molds, fill them with distilled or boiled water, and put them in the freezer. The original glasses are enough for several toasts - then you have to repeat the procedure. Very elegant look vases for fruit or ice cream, made as follows. You will need two deep plates, water, leaves and flower petals. Put the leaves and petals in a plate, place a smaller plate in it, fill the space between the walls with water and put it in the freezer. To remove the ice vase, pour hot water over the plates.

The ice, of course, will melt over time.

But the process of creating ice sculptures or original items for the home will give so many positive emotions that the family will remember these holidays for a long time - and will look forward to the next ones.

Snow and ice sculptures and other snowy winter fun

“The bunny had a bast hut, and the chanterelle had an ice hut ...” - the fairy tale says. To create a similar miracle in your area, you do not need expensive materials and tools. Use improvised material - snow and ice!

Sculpt from the snow

The snowman became a good fat man only in the 19th century, at the same time the famous canonical appearance appeared: a body made of three snow balls of different sizes, a bucket on his head and a nose made of carrots. Everyone probably knows how to mold such a character, but besides the classic snowman, you can sculpt a lot of interesting things! For example, you can turn a snowman upside down and give him real boots or felt boots! Or fashion your favorite cartoon characters from the snow. And if you recently had a good rest at the sea or discovered in yourself a passion for something monumental, take on the creation of marine life from snow. To create such a masterpiece, “heavy artillery” is already required: shovels, scrapers, and even snow throwers or even tractors, but the result is worth it. Of course, it won’t be warm, like at sea, on the street, but you will collect enough “likes” in social networks!

Building a snow fort

If you have a big friendly company, why not arrange snow battles? Build real fortresses out of snow! The best conditions for creating a snow town are a relatively high temperature (about OH) and high humidity. Just roll the balls like a snowman and stack them on top of each other. Unfortunately, such a fortress will look a little sloppy. Then shape the snow globes into square blocks with a shovel. Another way is to collect wet snow in 10-liter plastic buckets and tip them in the right places like molds in a sandbox.

At lower temperatures construction is also possible. Here you can not do without containers for snow and water. Snow during frosts is very dry, so it needs to be moistened: snow is collected in layers in a bucket or other container, each of which is spilled with a small amount of water from a watering can or a perforated plastic bottle.

After the frame of your fortress is ready, make it unique - think over the original appearance. Cut through windows and doors, loopholes, etc. maybe even snow tunnels. Place a flag on the very top of the building. And don't forget to prepare a sufficient amount of "ammunition": snowballs after the construction of the fortress will come in handy!

Angel in the snow

For those who like to wallow in the snow, there is a great idea - to create a snow angel! Find an area with an even layer of freshly fallen snow without extraneous marks, stand with your back to it and squat down. Then just lie down on the snow (it is important that your head is well imprinted) and spread your arms to the sides, spread your legs shoulder-width apart. Move your arms up and down the surface of the snow without bending them. to make angel wings. Also bring and spread your legs several times to make a skirt. Now it is important to rise without damaging the creation!

ice sculptures

If Rodin's fame haunts you, try yourself as an ice sculpture maker! They can be made from both natural and artificial ice. To do this, a block of ice is cut out of the ice cover of the reservoir with a chainsaw, which can later be used to create a sculpture.

At the same time, be careful: if the temperature a few weeks before was above 8 C, in no case step on the ice - it can still withstand you, and under the weight of the ice block it will crack. But such ice will not be of very high quality: it contains a lot of foreign impurities and air bubbles that make the ice cloudy. Even if you try to independently cast blocks of the required size from pure water, there will be no "crystal") transparency - air bubbles will still remain inside. The secret of making perfectly transparent blocks lies in the constant circulation of frozen water: in this way, much less bubbles are formed and the ice becomes suitable for sculpting.

To carve a sculpture from a finished block, you need to arm yourself with a chainsaw - it is with its help that the first outlines of the future sculpture are given to the ice. When this stage is completed, the work is continued with cutters and a drill. If unnecessary “burrs” and bumps appear on the surface, heat these places with a regular hair dryer. The final touch is dousing the finished sculpture with cold water. After this procedure, let the figure harden.

Having fun is extreme and expensive

For extreme people who want to try something new, we can recommend an attraction that is just starting to gain popularity in our country - zorbing. Its meaning is to lower a person in a transparent ball - a zorb - down a mountain or overcome any obstacles in it. The ball itself consists of two spheres: external and internal, between which air is pumped. A passenger climbs into the inside of the ball, who is already called "zorbonaft". It is thanks to the thick air layer, which gives some cushioning, that a person is comfortable enough to be inside.

For most of us, drinking alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, especially in hot summer weather, is simply unthinkable without ice cubes. That is why we rarely think about the process of its manufacture, we just pour water into molds and put it in the freezer.

In fact, making ice is a real art, as any professional bartender can attest. Before you understand what approach is needed to make ice for drinks, you need to understand what it is.

From the school bench we know that ice is one of the states of aggregation of ordinary water. But the formula H 2 O, which we are accustomed to considering as the usual formula for water, is in no way applicable to it. Ice cubes contain a lot of various impurities, which add other chemical elements and components to the ice. Experts recommend not using ordinary untreated water to make ice. The ideal option is to boil the water before freezing it.

How to make ice for alcohol? What types of ice for alcoholic beverages are there? And how to effectively make ice at home?

Varieties of ice for alcoholic beverages

To make ice for a drink, you can use the usual forms that are placed in a regular refrigerator, and to make ice in large quantities, use a special unit called an ice maker.

Although few people know this, ice can be made in several categories and varieties:

• Food. This type of ice looks like separate pieces of ice, shaped like small cylinders or cubes. It is most often made using an ice maker from filtered drinking water. This type of ice is used as a cooler for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks or cocktails.
• Lump. It is prepared in the form of pieces of different shapes, and is added both for cooling liquids and for beauty in alcoholic cocktails. In this category, ice can also be divided into cup ice, cube ice and nuggets.
• Chipped. This kind of ice is commonly used at presentations and exhibitions to keep drinks and foods cool. Such ice is in the form of chipped pieces that are irregularly shaped. This type of ice is also used in bars and restaurants for making cocktails in a shaker. You can also prepare crushed ice at home, by breaking lump ice with a kitchen hammer through a rag so that fragments do not fly apart. Since crushed ice melts much faster than other varieties, it is prepared right before use.

• Ice Frappe. This name was given to finely crushed or shaved ice, which is used to make cocktails with the addition of fruits, crunches, Mojitos, and other drinks that are usually drunk through a straw.
• Granulated. This type of ice is in the form of small hailstones, approximately 1 cm in diameter. This ice is easy to store, does not freeze and mixes quickly with the product and never damages its soft tissues. Most often, such ice is used to serve wine, champagne and certain types of dishes on an ice bed.
• Ice cubes Fancy . Such a sonorous name was given to ice cubes, in which a variety of candied fruits are frozen. Such cubes can also be made from coffee or tea, and if the preparation of a cocktail involves the use of juice, berries or mint leaves, then all this can be frozen in Fancy ice cubes.
• Color. Such ice is used not only to cool drinks, but also to create their original design, design or decorate a glass. Juices, lemonades and cocktails are usually served with such ice, although it can be used for any other purposes at the request of the user. To get colored ice, fruit and berry juices are used, which have a different color, and besides, such ice cubes have a pleasant original taste. In order to give the ice more originality, layer-by-layer freezing is sometimes used, then each ice cube has an impressive and beautiful appearance.
• Fried. Despite the unusual and controversial name, such ice is quite simple to prepare. To do this, freeze small pieces of fruit in the freezer, then beat the egg white and make a meringue with a diameter of a tennis ball. A piece of ice is pressed into it, after which it is doused with cognac and set on fire. manages to burn until the ice has melted, and the meringue turns out toasted, while maintaining a cool and refreshing effect, inside with ice.

Today, in order to make any type of ice, you can use it as an ice maker or a wide variety of freezer molds, which are usually made of plastic or food grade silicone.

At first glance, freezing ice is not difficult, but in the end, the ice cubes turn out to be cloudy and with bubbles. And in cocktails served in cafes and restaurants, ice is always transparent and very attractive. Let's try to make transparent ice yourself at home.

There is a scientific basis for this fact. As you know, there are microscopic air bubbles and various impurities in the water. Freezing of ice cubes occurs gradually, starting from the walls of the mold. Frozen water pushes air towards the center, and then, as it freezes, air bubbles give the ice cube a cloudy color.

How to freeze clear ice: proven methods

Method number 1: Freeze boiled water

For this method, water must be passed through a filter, then boiled for several minutes. During bubbling, excess air will be released from the water. After that, you need to wait for the water to cool naturally. If you boil water in a pan, then during the cooling period, the pan must be covered with a lid or cloth to prevent dust from settling into the water.

Now the water can be poured into molds for freezing and sent to the freezer. After 24 hours, you will be able to extract completely transparent ice from the molds.

Watch the video: The Chips for Life channel will talk about two guaranteed ways to make (freeze) transparent ice

Method #2: How to Freeze Ice in a Plastic Container

Here we need a plastic container-refrigerator that can hold the temperature. It will help the ice freeze slowly. The main thing is that the box fits in size into the freezer compartment.

Put ice cube trays in a container and fill them with clean water. Ordinary tap water is also suitable, but it must first be filtered.

We fill the bottom of the container with water so that the water is poured according to the water level in the molds. This water will allow the ice to freeze in the molds from top to bottom.

We put the box in the freezer, without covering the lid tightly. The temperature in the freezer should not be very low, approximately -8 ºС.

After 24 hours, take out the frozen bottom of the box along with the molds. We beat off excess ice around the mold, and take out transparent cubes from the molds.

Method #3: Slow Freeze Method

This method involves using the highest possible temperature in your freezer. The desired value is -1ºС. Forms with filtered water are placed on the top shelf of the freezer. It is advisable to wrap the forms with cling film. In a day, clear ice will be ready.

Method #4: How to make clear ice with salt

To do this, put salt in a bowl. The amount of salt should be sufficient so that the water does not freeze in the freezer at a temperature not lower than -2ºС. As you know, salt water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water.

To begin with, put salt water in the freezer and cool it as much as possible. We place molds with water in cold salty water. It remains to send this design to the freezer for a day. Clear ice prepared in this way is provided to you.

Ideal transparent ice is obtained using special ice makers, but you are unlikely to want to install such a unit in your home.

Watch the video on the channel "Svoimi rukami" - How to make ice from distilled water

You will need

• - purified water
• - molds or disposable ice packs
• - towel and kitchen mallet (for ice frappe)
• - juice, berries and pieces of fruit (for colored ice)

Instruction

In essence, ice is one of the forms of water that it takes under the influence of negative temperatures. Water from an ordinary water supply contains a lot of impurities; when it is frozen, rather cloudy ice is obtained, which is ugly in appearance and unpleasant in taste. Therefore, following one of the main rules, make ice only from clean water. It is not necessary to go for distilled or bottled. You can use the usual, from the centralized supply system, subjecting it to cleaning in several stages.

Pass the water through a filter with aqualene fibers and boil in a scale-free container. The ideal solution would be to let this water settle. The impurities remaining in it will precipitate within a few hours. Carefully pour the water into another bowl. Now you can ice out of it.

For curly pieces, use very convenient silicone molds for ice. They are sold in a large assortment in hardware stores. Water for making ice in such forms should be at room temperature. An indispensable condition for making ice in open forms should be its freezing in a place separate from the products. Ice is very good at adsorbing odors from the freezer, so place the molds in the designated area in the freezer. If you don't have a dedicated freezer space, then use disposable ice packs that don't absorb odors.

If the cocktail recipe involves the use of colored ice, prepare it with the addition of mint leaves or berries. To make the berries and leaves turn out to be pieces of ice, freeze in layers: pour one third of the liquid into the mold, let it freeze, then put the mint leaves, pieces or berries and fill with the remaining liquid. Also prepare multi-colored ice using layer-by-layer freezing.

Some require the use of fine ice chips according to the recipe -. For its preparation in bars, ice is crushed in special crushers. You can cook at home without the use of special equipment. Spread frozen ice cubes on half of a clean cotton towel and cover with the other half. Take a meat mallet and use the blunt side to break the pieces of ice into the towel. After that, pour the ice crumbs into a container, cover with a lid and place it in the freezer. Put the crumbs in the glass just before making the cocktail.

Helpful advice

Use only freshly made ice for cocktails.

Related article

Sources:

• How to make ice. Cocktails and drinks
• how to make a cocktail

The oxygen cocktail is a delicious foam of a thousand bubbles. It turns out very simply when filling juice or herbal tea with oxygen. You can choose the flavor that you like best.

You will need

• 1 cup 200–300 ml;
• flavor base - juice, fruit drink;
• foaming composition;
• source of oxygen - an oxygen cylinder;
• air atomizer

Instruction

Oxygen allows you to strengthen and cope with various viruses and infections. This gives the body a surge of strength, improves well-being. Preparing oxygen cocktail using a special one, consisting of an oxygen concentrator and an oxygen mixer. With this equipment Houses time will take a few minutes.

Connect the mixer to the concentrator with a plastic tube.

Beat the prepared solution in a glass for 5-10 seconds, at the same time do not forget to supply oxygen.

Use this cocktail using a wide plastic tube, without stirring, immediately after cooking.

You can use another recipe. Pour cold juice into a glass. Add licorice root. Move the mixture carefully for 20 seconds.

Insert the foam tube into the aerosol dispenser as far as it will go. Remove the cap. Place the aerator in a glass of liquid.

Slightly press the cylinder valve with your thumb. You will see how small bubbles begin to form in the glass.

Save the solution left after work and use it to make a cocktail the next day. Pour the solution into a sterile container and place in the refrigerator. The solution cannot be stored for more than a day, because the oxygen prepared from it cocktail will not have any useful properties.

note

To quickly obtain a stable foam, the temperature of the foam base should not be higher than 20-22 ° C

Helpful advice

For the normal functioning of an adult organism, drink an oxygen cocktail three times a day - one in the morning and two in the evening. One glass in the morning and evening is enough for children.

Sources:

• oxygen cocktails
• how to make an oxygen cocktail at home

Tip 3: What is ice for drinks: cooking methods

Birthday, New Year or a romantic dinner - the success of any celebration depends entirely on your imagination and ability to create a festive mood. To pleasantly surprise your friends, there are a lot of important little things and surprises, one of which is the addition of a glass of juice or martini with colored ice cubes.

The art of mixing drinks is very popular. Decorations with fresh berries, mint leaves, or paper umbrellas have become the norm and are somewhat boring. You can meet an abundance of European cocktails with bright hats and candied lemon slices along the edge of the glass in almost every club. This is not surprising, because it becomes more and more difficult to breathe a drop of magic into an ordinary drink every time. frozen ice is also not a curiosity, the only difference is that ice cubes can be served beautifully, stuffed with fruit filling or enlivened with a variety of colors.

How to make colored ice for drinks, features and tricks of preparation

Before you start experimenting, start small and prepare clear, clean cubes. To do this, just take a mold with square compartments from the refrigerator or purchase silicone molds at the store. Some enterprising housewives purchase special bags on clips for freezing. Fill the cells with cooled, boiled water and carefully place the mold in the freezer. If the water is not boiled, you will get cloudy, cracked squares. If everything is done correctly, after 3-4 hours, perfect transparent cubes ice will be ready for use. Forms can be varied - in the form of hearts, flowers, fruits, women's accessories or cat faces. In bars, cubes are often replaced with frosty crumbs - for this, white ice is crushed to a state of shiny crystals. Once in the mouth, the ice crumb has an invigorating effect.

How can you replace or decorate boiled water:

• Green tea, coffee with milk. Don't forget to add sugar for a sweet taste;
• Fruit, natural juices;
• Food colorings. Before choosing a dye, carefully read the composition on the package;
• Berries, pieces of fruit, nuts, mint leaves inside ice cubes.

For a change, colored ropes or threads with beads are dipped into the filled forms. After hardening, it will turn into a festive garland. Colored and transparent ice can be alternated with each other. Important. Do not place molds near products such as lard or fish. The smells of food will be instantly absorbed into the workpiece, and your drinks will have a fish or meat flavor. It is also important to observe expiration dates. Ordinary transparent ice is stored for no more than 6 months, and ice based on juices and berries - no more than 30 days.