How to Make Italian Ice

Learning how to make Italian ice at home is a fun project for the family that brings a taste of summer to any time of year. Give it a try, and who knows? You might just start a new tradition in your family. Happy freezing!

Tips on How to Make Italian Ice at Home

• The good news is — you DO NOT NEED an ice cream freezer! The key to great Italian ice is in the freezing and stirring process. Begin with a simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water), add your flavoring (fruit juice, pureed fruit, or even coffee), and pop it in the freezer.
• Every 30 minutes or so, take your mixture out and give it a good stir or scrape with a fork and return it to the freezer. This breaks up the ice crystals and gives you that smooth, slushy texture we all love.
• Add a splash of alcohol to your mix. The alcohol helps prevent it from freezing solid, giving you a softer, more scoopable texture. Just a tablespoon or two of vodka or rum per quart of mixture will do the trick.
• For flavors, the sky's the limit! Classic options like lemon, cherry, and watermelon are always crowd-pleasers. And some enjoy their ice flavored with coffee or tea. Just remember, whatever flavor you choose, make it intense as freezing tends to dull flavors, so go bold!

How to Make Italian Ice by Clara

Watch the short YouTube video below as 94-year-old Clara demonstrates step-by-step how to make an authentic Italian Ice in your refrigerator freezer. The homemade ice dessert takes a while to freeze, but it's low-cost and so easy to make. Enjoy!

Isn't Clara amazing? The ingredients are mentioned in the video, but I will list them below in case you didn't get to write them down.

Clara's Italian Ice Recipe

2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
Flavoring of Choice

Flavor Suggestions:

• Vanilla to taste
• Lemon - juice of 1/2 lemon per serving
• Lemon Lime - juice of 1/4 lemon and 1/4 lime per serving
• Fruit of choice

Just bring water and sugar to boil, then cool for 15 minutes. Place in freezer for 1 hour, stir, return to freezer and repeat stirring and freezing until mixture is semi-frozen.

Stir in flavoring and top with mint leaves (optional). Enjoy a cool and refreshing treat.

Clara's Other Recipes

Visit Amazon.com to purchase your copy of "Clara's Kitchen: Wisdom, Memories, and Recipes from the Great Depression" in either Hardcover or Kindle version. You'll love this cookbook that features warm family memories and simple Italian recipes that are easy and fun to make.

Traditional Italian Ice Recipes

The Italian Cook Book (1919)

Gelato di limone (Lemon Ice)

Granulated sugar, 3/4 pound
Water, a pint
Lemons, three (good sized)

Boil the sugar in the water, with some little pieces of lemon peel, for about ten minutes, in an uncovered kettle. When this syrup is cold, squeeze the lemons one at the time, tasting the mixture to regulate the degree of acidity. Then strain and put in the freezer packed with salt and ice.

Gelato di aranci (Orange Ice)

Four big oranges
One lemon
One pint of water.
Sugar, 3/4 pound

Squeeze the oranges and the lemon and strain the juice. Boil the sugar in the water for ten minutes, put in the juice when cold, strain again and put in the freezer.

Gelato di Fragola (Strawberry Ice)

Ripe strawberries, 3/4 pound
Granulated sugar, 3/4 pound
Water, one pint
A big lemon
An orange.

Boil the sugar in the water for ten minutes in an uncovered pot or kettle. Rub thorough a sieve the strawberries and the juice of the lemon and the orange: after straining add the syrup, mix everything, and pour the mixture in the freezer container to freeze.

Italian Ice: Frequently Asked Questions

About Italian Ice

Italian ice, or simply "water ice" as it's often called, has a history that stretches back for centuries. It's thought to have originated in Sicily, where locals would mix snow from Mount Etna with strained fruit juices and honey.

What most people love about Italian ice is how it's so incredibly simple to make and refreshingly enjoyable at the same time. There's something about its smooth texture and intense flavor that sets it apart from other frozen treats.

Maybe it's the way it melts on your tongue, or how the flavor seems to intensify as you eat it. Whatever it is, it never fails to remind of those carefree summer days of childhood. Enjoy learning how to make Italian Ice!