Happy summer! I’m Jeanne Fratello and I’m thrilled to be one of Stemilt’s Crisp Collaborators. I write a blog called Jolly Tomato where I focus on great recipes made with fresh produce. I love all of Stemilt’s products and I can’t wait to share with you all of my favorite ways to enjoy them.
We can probably all agree that fresh fruit is refreshing any time of year. But during the hottest days of summer, what’s the most refreshing way to enjoy that fruit? Frozen, of course. That’s the idea behind the latest fruit ice cube trend.
Fruit ice cubes are super-easy to make, and the combinations are endless.
For this project, I used Stemilt’s Cosmic Crisp® apples and Stemilt cherries. The Cosmic Crisp® apples are beautiful and perfectly red, which adds a lot of color to the fruit ice combo. They’re also crisp and sweet – and they stay that way when you freeze them – making them the ideal fruit for a fruit ice cube.
Stemilt’s dark-sweet cherries are perfectly sweet and flavorful. They’re also much plumper than your average cherry – so you get a lot of “fruit” out of the cherry. (For some tips on freezing cherries, check out How to Freeze Cherries here.)
Note: For each of these fruit ice combos, I used a standard 16-compartment ice cube tray.
Refreshment Time!
Fruit Ice Combo #1: The Cherr-Berry
This fruit ice combo brings together the best of the summer fruits – cherries and berries – along with fresh mint.
You will need:
8 Stemilt dark-sweet cherries (cut into quarters; two quarters per compartment)
32 blueberries
16 medium fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces
Evenly distribute each of the fruits and mint leaves into the ice cube tray compartments. Pour water to fill the compartment. Freeze for at least two hours or until fully solid. Serve with ice-cold regular or flavored sparkling water.
Fruit Ice Combo #2: The Tropical Refresher
This fruit ice combo uses tropical fruits to create a colorful and refreshing addition to your favorite tropical drink.
You will need:
8 Stemilt dark-sweet cherries (cut into quarters; two quarters per compartment)
½ cup fresh pineapple, diced into ½-inch pieces
¼ cup fresh coconut, diced into ½-inch pieces
½ cup fresh mango, diced into ½-inch pieces
Freshly grated ginger (optional)
Evenly distribute each of the fruits into the ice cube tray compartments. Top with grated fresh ginger (optional). Pour water to fill the compartment. Freeze for at least two hours or until fully solid. Serve with fruit juice, coconut juice, lemonade, flavored sparkling water, or your favorite tropical drink.
½ Cosmic Crisp® apple, core removed, diced into ½-inch pieces
½ cup honeydew melon, diced into ½-inch pieces
2 to 3 edible marigold flowers, plucked to yield 50-ish petals
Evenly distribute each of the fruits into the ice cube tray compartments. Top each compartment with several marigold petals. Pour water to fill the compartment. Freeze for at least two hours or until fully solid. Serve with flavored sparkling water.
Fruit Ice Combo #4: Bright Red Cheer
This fruit ice combo uses your favorite red fruits to add a perfect splash of color to your summer drinks. You will need:
½ Cosmic Crisp® apple, core removed, diced into ½-inch pieces
8 Stemilt dark- sweet cherries (cut into quarters; two quarters per compartment)
¼ cup raspberries, halved
50-ish pomegranate arils
Evenly distribute each of the fruits into the ice cube tray compartments. Pour water to fill the compartment. Freeze for at least two hours or until fully solid. Serve with flavored sparkling water or with a Smashed Shirley Temple Cocktail/Mocktail (made with Stemilt dark-sweet cherries, not maraschino cherries, of course).
Fruit Ice Combo #5: Ginger Apple Smash
This fruit ice combo can extend your refreshing drinks all the way through fall, with a crisp ginger-apple flavor that goes perfectly with ginger ale or even apple cider.
You will need:
½
Cosmic Crisp® apple core removed, diced into ½-inch pieces
3-4 stems fresh rosemary
Freshly grated ginger.
Evenly distribute the apple pieces into the ice cube tray compartments. Drop 1 or 2 rosemary leaves into each compartment. Grate fresh ginger over each of the compartments. Pour water to fill the ice cube tray. Freeze for at least two hours or until fully solid. This cube is a perfect addition to the “Apple Smash” cocktail from our Burgers + Cocktails/Mocktails of Summer series! It also goes well with ginger ale, apple cider, or sparkling apple juice.
Before you make one of your favorite drinks, make it extra special with these 5 Fruit Ice Cube Combos to Beat the Heat this summer! Leave us a comment below and let us know which ice cube/drink combination was your favorite!
Jeanne Fratello is a journalist and author who launched Jolly Tomato in 2010. She writes about fresh produce, recipes, restaurants, and food and travel destinations. In her spare time, she loves cooking, traveling, swimming, and doing every possible word game she can find.