Fresh Flowerherb Blossom Ice Cubes For Summertime Entertaining Recipes

FRESH FLOWER/HERB BLOSSOM ICE CUBES FOR SUMMERTIME ENTERTAINING

Steps:

• Gather and gently rinse all of your pesticide-free blossoms.
• Boil water for 2 minutes for all the air trapped in the water to escape. Then leave to cool till room temperature. This will ensure that the ice cubes are crystal clear.
• Place each blossom at the base of each individual compartment within an ice tray (or more trays if you have a large party).
• Fill each compartment half full with the cooled boiled water and freeze.
• After the water is frozen solid, fill each ice cube compartment the rest of the way to the top with the remaining boiled water.
• Refreeze and allow it to remain in the freezer until you are ready to use them (store in the freezer in zip lock bags).
• NOTE: You can also freeze a large ice ring for the punch bowl, with a variety of blossoms. Don't use the glass punchbowl or it will expand and burst in the freezer. Instead, use a ring-shaped cake tin and fill it with flowers and water. Follow the same procedure as above (filling halfway, then freezing), but you can add additional blossoms to the second layer so that the blossoms are throughout the large ice ring.
• Use the ice cubes in pitchers or glasses of lemonade, iced tea, juices, punches and cocktails.

WOW GUESTS WITH THESE FLORAL ICE CUBES

Steps:

• Pour water into your 1 1⁄2 by 1 1⁄2 inch ice cube trays three-quarters of the way full, making 12 ice cubes. Place filled trays into a small cooler without the lid. Freeze for 7 hours or until the ice cubes are half frozen.
• Take half-frozen ice cubes out of the freezer and let sit for 10 minutes. Using a small knife, remove the top frozen part of the ice cube from the trays and set aside. If these 'ice windows' have any excess ice attached, break or melt it off. Place flowers in the ice cube tray so that they are floating on the remaining water. Drop the frozen 'ice windows' over the flowers. Place trays back in the cooler and freeze completely, around 5 hours in the freezer.
• Once completely frozen, remove floral ice cubes from the tray. Store ice cubes in a plastic container in your freezer. If using right away, set ice cubes out for 10 minutes in advance to temper them and prevent cracking.