Edible Flower Ice Cubes ~ fresh edible blossoms frozen right into cubes of ice dress up cocktails, soda, or plain water.ย Up your beverage game this season with the prettiest ice cubes ever!
Flower ice cubes dress up all your drinks
I was at a brunch wedding shower last weekend and all the food was inspired by Pinterest. They had doughnut hole and fruit kabobs, bacon-threaded skewers, and they turned waffles into finger food by putting them into individual cups with syrup at the bottom for dipping. It reminded me how Pinterest has exploded the playing field when it comes to creative ideas.
Maybe you’ve seen these edible flower ice cubes floating around. They’ve been intriguing me for a while, and I finally gave them a try. They look so pretty and they seem like a perfect idea for spring, but they weren’t quite as straightforward as they look. The first few times I made them they didn’t turn out that great but I kept at it and finally got the hang of it. I’ll try to spare you some aggravation and share what I learned.
The only thing you need for this project, besides water and edible flowers, is a silicone ice cube tray.
The silicone is flexible and makes it really easy to pop the cubes out when you want to use them. The soft surface doesn’t scratch the cubes, and it makes it possible to get a really sharp shape to the ice. I like this one because it makes relatively large square cubes which look pretty and fit good sized blossoms. The large size melts more slowly, too, which is a plus. You’ll use this tray over and over for all kinds of creative ice cubes, so it’s a great little investment to make early on in the season.
Best flower choices for making floral ice cubes
Even though you’re not going to be actually eating the flowers, edible varieties like roses, pansies, nasturtiums, marigolds, violets and geraniums will obviously be the best choices for these ice cubes. I found that pansies and geraniums worked well, and I didn’t try miniature roses, but they would be a good choice. You can also use herbs and blooming herbs like mint, or chive blossoms.
How to make crystal clear ice cubes
One of the issues that came up is that regular water tends to make cloudy ice cubes, so I tried distilled water. If you boil the distilled water and then let it cool, it will makeย clear ice so you can actually see your beautiful blossoms. In the end I found that the distilled water did make clearer ice, but that once the ice is exposed to the air, it tended to frost over a bit anyway, and all the ice turned clear once a drink was poured over it.
Larger blossoms worked the best, because they were big enough to be seen through the ice from different angles. The technique involves freezing the ice in layers so you can trap the flower in the center.
How to make flower ice cubes
The main trick is to get the flower to freeze in the center of the cube, because it tends to float to the top.
- Use a silicone ice cube mold with large square compartments, like this one.
- Add a little bit of water to cover the bottom of each cube and set a flower or petals, into each cube. Freeze until solid.
- Pull the tray out and fill with more water and freeze again until solid.
- Top off the cube with water and freeze one last time.
- You’re ready to show off your fancy cubes!
I’d give this idea a tentative thumbs up.
They were a little tricky and time consuming to make, and well, ice does melt quickly. If you did want to use them for entertaining you’d have to have a well insulated ice bucket to store them in. But hey, if you’re giving your BFF a wedding shower, or hosting the Easter brunch to end all Easter brunches, go for it — they are pretty!
More ways to use edible flowers
- SPRING SALAD WITH EDIBLE FLOWERS
- HOW TO MAKE PANSY TOPPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES
- FLOWER INFUSED VINEGARS
- HONEYSUCKLE VODKA LEMONADE
- PANSY SALAD
Flower Ice Cubes
Ingredients
- fresh picked edible blossoms, make sure they are pesticide free
- distilled water
Instructions
- Boil the distilled water and let cool completely.
- Make sure your flowers or petals are clean and dry.
- Fill the bottom third of each ice cube square with water. Set a flower into each cube, and I recommend alternating some face down and some facing up, because it's hard to predict how they will shift as they freeze. Freeze until firm.
- Remove the silicone tray from the freezer and pour a little more water on top, about another third of the way up. Gently push the flower down if it floats. Put the tray back in the freezer until firm.
- Remove from the freezer again and top off each square with water.
- Freeze until firm, and then use or store in the freezer.
Hi where do you get the flowers?
I grow edible flowers in my yard, and in pots Kathrine. You can also buy them in some large supermarkets, in season. Here in California there is always a good supply of flowers growing, and sometimes I’ll just take a walk around the block to gather my ‘supplies’ ๐ Melissa’s Produce will ship them, too.
How do you prevent the Roses getting Brown
They don’t get brown for me, Maria, what type of rose are you using? Be sure not to cut the petals, that can discolor them.
Hi SUE! I am really impressed with this simple yet gorgeous idea. Thanks so much!
Aren’t these gorgeous?
What a great idea for a party–little touches add so much.
Sue,
These are so beautiful! I have to try this! You make everything beautiful, even ice!
xo
annie
Thanks Annie, that means a lot, coming from you <3
Sue, these ice cubes are so very beautiful! I am really impressed with this simple yet gorgeous idea.
Happy Sunday!
Angie
Thanks Angie!
Sue, This is such a lovely idea! Canโt wait to give it a try! Thanks for all the great tipsโฆnow I will have to buy myself an ice cube tray!
Such a cute idea for summer drinks! Now….do you believe I don’t even own an ice cube tray anymore??? Will have to buy one!
The silicone trays work for so many things, like freezing portions of pesto or tomato paste, and stuff like that. My husband likes the big square blocks of ice in his cocktails, too.
There are so pretty, Sue, and would make any occasion extra special. Projects like this often turn out to be much more involved that expected. Thanks for the tip to boil distilled water for a clear cube. It might be fun to use a strawberry or raspberry too.
I should have mentioned the fruit idea, berries, or grapes… who knew ice cubes could be so much fun?
I have used this technique in a ring mold – which is very nice floating in a punch bowl.
That’s a nice idea, it keeps frozen a lot longer!