Ice Blocks Recipe ingredients

To prepare this Ice Blocks Recipe, first ice cubes are attractive in a glass of water or other cold drink. They may be flavored or colored or decorated. Crushed ice is used in soup plates under raw oysters and clams, and to surround fish or fruit cocktails and fruit juices. Ice blocks, colored and decorated, may be used in punch bowls.

To Make Ice - dip the cast iron support in water and place in position. Put 2 quarts of water in large pan and 1 quart of water in the small pan. The water in the small pan will freeze in less than 4 hours. The water in the large pan will freeze in less than 8 hours. For quick freezing place the shallow tray beneath the large one on top of the support, and interchange as soon as lower tray is frozen solid. More than 6 pounds of ice can be made at one time - enough to freeze 3 quarts of ice cream in a regulation freezer.

To Freeze Ice Cubes - put into the pans the partitions which come with them and fill with water. In the small pan you can make 28 cubes of ice - in the large one, 28 double-size cubes. If an extra supply is needed, just store the finished cubes in the glass tray under the chilling unit. They will remain frozen for 24 hours.

To Remove Ice Blocks - when wanted for use for cooling water or other beverages hold the pan of ice blocks under the faucet, bottom side up, and then top side up. Remove ice and partitions. Blocks can then be removed easily from between the partitions.

Colored Ice Cubes - Add to 1 quart water any desired food color. Red and green are especially attractive. Better still, add enough bright colored fruit juice to color and flavor the water. Freeze.

Blackberry Ice Cubes with Lemonade - Mix 2 cups blackberries with 1/2 cup sugar or use 1 No. 2 can of blackberries. Strain through a sieve. Pour 1 cup cold water through the sieve to dilute the syrup. Freeze and serve 2 or 3 cubes in each glass of Lemonade. Other berries, especially raspberries and loganberries may be used in place of the blackberries. The solid fruit which remains in the sieve may be forced through the sieve and be used for Fruit Cream.

Ice Block for Punch Bowl - Fill large refrigerator pan with water, plain or delicately colored, and freeze. Remove from pan, place in punch bowl and surround with Lemonade, or any desired fruit punch.

Garnished Ice Cubes - Put in each compartment of large or small refrigerator pan, 1 maraschino cherry or 1 candied cherry or 1 or 2 mint leaves or 1 violet without the stem or 1 pansy or 1 tiny rosebud or 1 flower of hyacinth or 1/4 slice of lemon or checkerberries. Fill with water and freeze, or half fill the pan and when frozen add a decoration to each compartment and add a little water. Let that freeze until the decoration is held in position, then fill the tray with water and finish freezing, with the decoration in the center.

Decorated Ice Block - Before the ice block is frozen completely, remove some of the water from the center and place a wreath of candied cherries and mint leaves on the ice. Add enough water to barely hold the decorations in place and return to refrigerator. When this water is frozen so that the decorations will hold, fill the space with more water and let it freeze. Remove by holding the pan for a moment under the running water. Place with the decorated side uppermost in punch bowl and surround with any desired punch.