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Drinks & liquids · Waters & mixers

Ice

Frozen water as cubes or crushed pieces, used to chill drinks, shock vegetables and keep doughs cold.

Also called: ice cubes, crushed ice, buz

93 recipes with it

What it is

Water frozen solid, sold or made as cubes, crushed ice or blocks. In cooking it is mainly a tool: an ice-water bath stops blanched vegetables or custards cooking, and a few cubes keep shortcrust dough or a blender batter cool. Crushed ice melts and dilutes faster than large cubes.

How it’s used

  • Chilling drinks, lassi and iced tea
  • Ice baths for blanched vegetables and boiled eggs
  • Keeping pastry water and doughs cold
  • Blending smoothies and frozen drinks
  • Quickly cooling a pan of stock or custard

Characteristics

Texture
Hard and brittle; crushed ice is slushy and quick to melt.
When cooked
Melts into water, so it dilutes anything it sits in; allow for this in drinks and sauces.
Sold as
frozen
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw
Common in
International

Storage

Frozen. Keep in a covered tray or bag so it does not pick up freezer smells. Old ice can taste stale.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Ice is not sterilised by freezing; make it from safe drinking water.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
0 kcal
Protein
0 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
0 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Water, bottled, generic (a close stand-in).

Related ingredients

Recipes with ice

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