Something as simple as flavored crushed ice has so many distinct variations: slushies, snow cones, frozen lemonade, and Hawaiian shave ice. My favorite is Italian ice. It’s so fluffy!
And unlike the others, there are no artificial flavors or colors in it. It’s typically flavored with lemon, and the good stuff has little flecks of zest in it. I could never choose between lemon and lime, but key limes make for seriously good Italian ice. I’m looking forward to a side-by-side comparison. Preferably on a hot day like today.
I use coconut water for added refreshment. If your coconut water has little pieces of coconut in it, even better. To find out how to crack a coconut for fresh coconut water, here you go.
Coconut Key Lime Ice
Ingredients:
- 2 cups coconut water
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- juice and zest of 2 key limes
Directions:
Bring the water to a boil and whisk in the sugar until it’s completely dissolved. After it cools to room temperature, stir in the coconut water, lime juice, and lime zest. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
There are methods which don’t require an ice cream maker, but they don’t achieve the same ‘fluffy’ consistency. One way: freeze it in a 9×13 baking dish and use a fork to ‘rake’ it every 30 minutes or so as it freezes.
