Water ice is made of flavored water that’s frozen and then blended until its consistency reaches tiny ice granules. The granules are smaller than shaved ice but slightly larger than Italian ice. The combination of refreshing ice and sugar is the perfect pick-me-up on a sticky day.

What Is Water Ice?

Water ice, which you’ll often hear as “wooder” ice in the Philadelphia accent, is a frozen dessert that’s similar to Italian ice. It’s traditionally made from just three ingredients: water, sugar and fruit. Lemon and cherry are the most common water ice flavors, but you’ll also spot mango, strawberry, pineapple and whatever else your water ice shop decided to try out that day. It is totally acceptable to get more than one flavor of water ice in your cup.

While water ice is great by itself, you’ll also hear Philadelphians ordering a “gelati.” A gelati is a scoop of water ice topped with a swirl of frozen custard and then another layer of water ice. Some water ice shops offer a variety of custard flavors, along with a variety of water ice flavors, so you can mix and match. (We’re partial to vanilla custard with mango water ice.)

What’s the Difference Between Water Ice and Italian Ice?

Water ice is derived from Italian ice and uses the same three ingredients (water, sugar and fruit)—but it’s not exactly the same. The difference is that water ice has slightly chunkier pieces of ice, while Italian ice is smoother. Shaved ice, however, has even thicker ice granules than water ice. Water ice is somewhere between shaved ice and Italian ice.

The Best Water Ice in Philadelphia

There are a few great water ice spots in Philadelphia, but on the first hot day of the year there’s no line quite like the one outside John’s Water Ice. If you’re too far from John’s shop or roving water ice truck, then buying water ice from the original Philadelphia Water Ice is also a good way to go, and they’re available in more states than just Pennsylvania!

If Philadelphia is too far away, but you really want some water ice, then make your own at home. Start with our strawberry water ice or lemon water ice recipes, or make both and combine them for a summer treat.

The post What Is ‘Water Ice,’ and Why Do People in Philadelphia Love It? appeared first on Taste Recipes.

How to Make Real Fruit Shaved Ice

It really couldn’t be easier! Simply freeze chunks of fruit overnight, and then use a Microplane to create the shaved ice effect. If you don’t have a Microplane at home, use a box grater or even the grater attachment for your food processor.

For the best results, take a tip from @blairhorton and make the chunks of fruit on the bigger side so you have something to hold onto as you grate. And work quickly—those smaller shavings will melt if left sitting for too long!

@blairhorton VIRAL PINEAPPLE SHAVED ICE is definitely worth the try! @littlefatboyfrankie made strawberry shaved ice a viral sensation and I had to try it with pineapple. Because I love pineapple, but also because I was nervous about micro planing a smaller fruit 😝😝 As a texture girlie I can tell you that this 1000% hits the spot! Plus it’s truly the easiest thing to make! @littlefatboyfrankie topped his with condensed milk, so I tried it with condensed coconut milk, but it honestly didn’t need it all. Let me know if you try this and what you think! #viraldessert #viralrecipe #viralrecipes #shavedice ♬ original sound – Blair Horton

Once you have the perfect mound of deliciousness, get creative with your toppings. @littlefatboyfrankie topped his strawberry shaved ice with a drizzle of condensed milk. Want a 100% vegan treat? Use coconut condensed milk like @blairhorton. Lots of easy ways to dress up this dessert. Toasted almonds, shredded coconut and mini chocolate chips sound pretty delicious, too.

The Best Fruit for Shaved Ice

Generally speaking, any fruit that can be chopped into larger chunks is best. You’ll want to have something that starts big enough that you can keep your fingertips a safe distance from the shredding. Be sure to choose the biggest strawberries in the bunch! Other fruits that would shave up beautifully are bananas, cantaloupe, mango or pineapple. Or possibly a combo of two or three? Our favorite part about this recipe is all the different flavor possibilities!

The post How to Make the Viral (and Simple!) Frozen Fruit Shaved Ice appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• Dash salt

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup watermelon or mixed fruit gelatin powder
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 5 cups seeded cubed watermelon

Ingredients

• 5 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon

Ingredients

• 3 cups water, divided
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 can (12 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups lemon juice
• Optional: Lemon slices and fresh mint leaves

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 cups water
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

Ingredients

• 3-1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 can (12 ounces) frozen grape juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Ingredients

• 1 can (46 ounces) pineapple juice
• 8 cups water
• 1 can (12 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries
• 2 envelopes unsweetened cherry soft drink mix or other red flavor of your choice
• Grapefruit or citrus soda

Ingredients

• 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen sweetened sliced strawberries, partially thawed
• 2 cups frozen unsweetened raspberries, partially thawed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• Fresh raspberries and lime wedges, optional

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup warm water (120° to 130°)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 small peach, peeled
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 6 cups cubed honeydew melon
• 2 tablespoons sweet white wine

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup diced fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed
• 1/2 cup halved fresh strawberries
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur or orange juice
• Fresh mint leaves, optional