Water Ice/Italian Ice

Summer is coming and I'd like to make some delicious water ice or Italian ice, Rita's style. For those of you unfamiliar with water ice, it's not sorbet, it's not hard or chunky like a snow cone. The texture is smooth, almost slushy like with more body.

I know it's basically simple syrup, flavoring, and maybe a pinch of salt.
However, all recipes I've found are not measured in weight or ratios.

Could anyone here recommend a simple syrup ratio or something that might be a good starting point?

Also, any recommendations on freezing methods to achieve this texture are welcome.

It'd be great to recreate water ice; it's one of my favorite summer treats and it's very nostalgic!

Find more posts tagged with

Everything Else

Comments

Nicky_J_17040

@Lou you must be on the East Coast.

I used to live in NYC, but know that Italian Ice is huge in Jersey. Good stuff.

merridith

I live in NYC and have been trying to duplicate coconut ice every summer. The trick, I think, is the addition of glucose or corn syrup. But I still can't make it as good as the guy on the corner! I make simple syrup at a 1:1 ratio. Here is the CS article on the subject:

http://www.chefsteps.com/activities/simple-syrup

Nicky_J_17040

@Merridith

I know what you're talking about. It almost has a creamy texture to it, but i'm pretty sure there is no dairy. I could be wrong.

merridith

Yes, I think it is made without dairy but maybe with coconut creme - it has a nice smooth mouthfeel and I also think it has lots of coconut flavoring though it has absolutely no chemical aftertaste. I bought an entire container from them once - at was at least a gallon - to experiment with. In my freezer it froze more solid than how it is when you get in on the street. I do think that the addition of a good quantity of alcohol based natural coconut flavor might help to retard freezing/crystalization…I never got a product I was happy with but I'm going to keep working on it!

Lou_34544

If anyone wants a closer look, just google "Rita's Water Ice"

I got pretty close with a ratio of roughly 2 cups water to 1 cup sugar for a simple syrup, not including the half cup lemon juice I added. Texture was getting pretty close but it was still a little sweet for my taste...could have been more refreshing.

I churned it in a really lackluster ice cream machine for about 30 minutes before putting it in a container, freezing, and mixing it up every 30 minutes or so.