The slush recipe
for your table
Stir the water, syrup, and pinch of salt together in a shallow container until the syrup has dissolved completely. A shallow container works better than a tall bowl, because a thin layer freezes faster and more evenly.
Place the container in the freezer and scrape the mixture loose after half an hour with a fork, working from the edges toward the center. That’s where freezing starts, so that’s where the first crystals form.
Repeat the scraping every half hour, three to four times, until the entire container consists of loose grains. The sugar and salt prevent the mixture from becoming a hard block, but it does remain grainy.
Spoon the slush into a chilled glass, optionally pour a splash more syrup over it, and add a straw or a long spoon. Eat it right away, because if it sits, it melts.
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The story
Slush consists of two things that work against each other: water wants to freeze into a block, while sugar and salt prevent that. Dissolved sugar and salt lower the freezing point, so the mixture only becomes hard below zero degrees and even then remains partly liquid. That is exactly where slush comes in: ice crystals lying loosely next to one another in a thick, sweet liquid. A machine keeps this going by stirring continuously. In the freezer, you do this with a fork every half hour. If you do not scrape it, the crystals grow together and you end up with an ice block with a spoon in it.
The right glass
Slush comes straight from the freezer, so the glass has to handle a significant temperature change all at once. Tempered glass can withstand this well and, thanks to its thick walls, also feels less cold in your hand. A tumbler with a wide opening is practical, because you scoop the slush into it with a spoon and a straw needs to be able to stand upright in it. If you want to serve it larger and more festively, with plenty of shaved ice above the rim, take a look at the Hurricane glasses.
Duralex Picardie Tumbler 31 cl (6 pieces)
Royal Leerdam Cocktail Hurricane Cocktail Glass 44 cl (4 pieces)
Both sets together € 39,90.
The right tools
For slush, besides the glass, use a bar spoon to stir the syrup through the ice and a straw that is wide enough for ice shavings. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 45,85.
Which splash goes in a slush?
A slush is alcohol-free by itself. If you want to add a splash for adults, liqueur is the most obvious choice, because its flavour complements the syrup. Think of Passoã with a red slush or limoncello with a yellow one. On each drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it suits and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The colour sets expectations: blueberry syrup gives you the classic blue slush, grenadine a red one and lemon syrup a yellow one. If you use fresh juice instead of syrup, add sugar until it tastes clearly too sweet, because you taste less in the cold. Quick version: put six ice cubes, four cl of syrup and a splash of water in the blender and blend until grainy, not smooth. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Put the glass in the freezer half an hour beforehand, so the first layer does not melt away immediately. Scoop the slush with a spoon instead of pouring it, and let it rise a few centimetres above the rim. A wide straw and a long spoon together in the glass work best, because halfway through, a slush always becomes drinkable.
Good to know
Why does salt water freeze later?
Dissolved salt and dissolved sugar lower the freezing point of water. As a result, the mixture only hardens below zero degrees, and even then, some of it remains liquid between the ice crystals. That is precisely what makes the difference between a slush and an ice cube.
How much syrup goes in?
Use roughly one part syrup to three parts water. Less syrup produces a harder result more like a popsicle, while more syrup makes the mixture so sweet that it barely freezes. The texture you're looking for lies between these two extremes.
Can you also make it without a freezer?
Yes, with a blender. Put ice cubes, syrup and a small splash of water in the jug and blend briefly on the highest setting. You'll get coarser flakes than from the freezer and it will become watery more quickly, but you'll drink it within a minute.
How long does it keep in the freezer?
A few days, but you need to scrape it loose again before serving. The longer it sits, the more the crystals grow together and the coarser the texture becomes.
Straw or spoon?
At first, a slush is too thick for a straw, so start with a long spoon. Once the top layer melts, the straw will go through. A wide straw is less likely to clog with ice flakes than a narrow one.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make slush without a machine?
Mix water with syrup and a pinch of salt in a shallow container, place it in the freezer and scrape the mixture loose with a fork every half hour. After scraping it three or four times, you'll have loose ice crystals instead of a block.
Why is there salt in slush?
Salt and sugar lower the freezing point, causing the mixture to freeze later and less solidly. This leaves liquid between the ice crystals, giving you a grainy slush instead of an ice block. A pinch is enough; you won't taste it.
Which syrup do you use for slush?
Any lemonade syrup will work, but choose one with a pronounced colour and flavour: blueberry, raspberry, lemon or orange. Cold dulls your sense of taste, so something that is just sweet enough at room temperature can quickly taste bland when ice-cold.
Which glass do you serve a slush in?
In a sturdy glass with a wide opening, so you can scoop the slush in and a straw stays upright. Tempered glass is ideal because it handles the cold well and the thick wall feels less cold to the touch.
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