How to Make Red Drink Water Ice, a Frozen Dessert Made with Strawberries

An icy Philadelphia treat, water ice, satisfies the red drink tradition knitted into Juneteenth.

red drink water ice in four glasses
Photo:

Carson Downing

Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
4 hrs 50 mins
Servings:
14
Yield:
Makes about 7 cups

You can guarantee a red drink will be on the table at nearly every Juneteenth celebration this summer. The color red symbolizes blood shed by the enslaved and also speaks to the color as a symbol of strength and spiritual significance that predates the slave trade. Historians have traced the tradition of red drink to West Africa where red teas were made from hibiscus. In areas where hibiscus was not easily grown, berries became the flavoring and means to color the beverage. As the tradition evolved over the years red drink came from more convenient sources including Big Red Soda or Kool Aid.

What Is Water Ice?

A signature icy treat of Philadelphia, water ice is a frozen dessert made from a combination of sugar, water, and various fruits. It's often referred to as Italian ice and has a consistency that falls somewhere between a snow cone and and a sippable slushy. Water ice is spoonable and will mound when served in a dish. This Red Drink Water Ice gets its red color from fresh strawberries and a strawberry syrup that is frozen then blended.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups sugar

  • 1/3 cup corn syrup

  • 4 oz strawberries, stems removed and cut in half (1 cup)

  • 2 lb strawberries, stems removed (about 8 cups)

  • 1/2 tsp citric acid

  • 2 cups ice cubes

Directions

  1. strawberries and sugar in pan

    Kelsey Hansen

    For syrup, in a medium saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, 3/4 cup water, and the 4 oz. strawberries.

  2. strawberries draining in fine mesh sieve over bowl

    Kelsey Hansen

    Bring to boiling over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Let cool 30 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard solids. Chill syrup before using. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

  3. left: food processor bowl with strawberries; right: container with frozen red water ice

    Kelsey Hansen

    For strawberry puree, in the bowl of a large food processor combine the 2 lb. strawberries and the citric acid. Cover; process until smooth. (You should have about 4 cups.) Transfer to an 8-cup freezer container. Cover; freeze until firm, 3 hours to overnight. You want the puree to be firm enough to hold its shape when broken into chunks with a fork. If frozen overnight, let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes to soften slightly. Using a fork, break frozen puree into 1-inch chunks.

    Test Kitchen Tip: Citric acid is a preservative used to make jam. You can substitute 1 Tbsp. lemon juice for the citric acid in this recipe.

  4. food processor bowls with red drink water ice blending

    Kelsey Hansen

    In the bowl of a large food processor combine chunks of frozen puree, strawberry syrup, and the ice. Cover and process until the mixture has an even, icy texture, 3 to 5 minutes. Return to freezer container. Cover; freeze 1 to 2 hours before serving to allow mixture to "reset." For serving, the texture should be like a fine, relatively soft slush. Water ice can be reblended up to three times.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

115 Calories
0g Fat
30g Carbs
0g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 14
Calories 115.2
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.2g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 7.2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 29.6g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1.5g 5%
Total Sugars 27.6g
Protein 0.5g 1%
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Vitamin C 42.9mg 48%
Calcium 13.9mg 1%
Iron 0.3mg 2%
Potassium 112mg 2%
Fatty acids, total trans 0g
Vitamin D 0IU
Alanine 0g
Arginine 0g
Ash 0.3g
Aspartic acid 0.1g
Caffeine 0mg
Carotene, alpha 0mcg
Choline, total 4.2mg
Copper, Cu 0mg
Cystine 0g
Energy 483.1kJ
Fluoride, F 26.4mcg
Folate, total 17.5mcg
Glutamic acid 0.1g
Glycine 0g
Histidine 0g
Isoleucine 0g
Leucine 0g
Lysine 0g
Methionine 0g
Magnesium, Mg 9.9mg
Manganese, Mn 0.3mg
Niacin 0.3mg
Phosphorus, P 17.5mg
Pantothenic acid 0.1mg
Phenylalanine 0g
Phytosterols 8.7mg
Proline 0g
Retinol 0mcg
Selenium, Se 0.5mcg
Serine 0g
Starch 0g
Theobromine 0mg
Threonine 0g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.2mg
Tryptophan 0g
Tyrosine 0g
Valine 0g
Vitamin A, IU 8.8IU
Vitamin A, RAE 0.7mcg
Vitamin B-12 0mcg
Vitamin B-6 0mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 1.6mcg
Water 100.7g
Zinc, Zn 0.1mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Related Articles