Coffee cubes to ramen: Experts spill DIY secrets and hacks using ice trays

Bright, fun and colourful, these flavoured ice cubes add a refreshing bomb to your food, drinks and health

A refrigerator can tell you a lot about its users. What we store is a direct confession of all our cravings (and hoarding habits): pickles from your granny’s house, dry fruits stored (neatly or not) in vacuum-sealed bags, left-over pizza from three nights ago, and dessert tubs that hold the promise of taking you off your diet plans.

The freezer is a treasure trove of practicality—dessert tubs that sometimes store peas and, most times, your favourite pick-me-up flavour of ice cream, frozen meats, and ice trays for impromptu drinks. When we stumbled upon social media’s trending hacks using ice trays to make cooking simpler, we were intrigued and sought out a diverse group of individuals to share their practical DIY secrets. Trays will never just make ice again.

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‘For a clear throat and skin that’s fresh-looking’ 
Raveena Taurani, Certified plant-based chef and culinary nutritionist

Plant-based chef Raveena Taurani uses ice trays to freeze and store a healthy concoction that promises to heal bad throat congestion

Raveena Taurani loves to DIY. She uses the ice tray to store aloe vera ice cubes made from the juice she applies to her face. “I use my ice trays to freeze aloe vera juice to be applied on my face before cleansing. These last for about two months in the freezer,” she says. To make aloe vera cubes, rinse a fresh stalk, cut off the bottom, remove any excess residue on a plate and wipe off the end with a tissue. Chop into big pieces and soak in lukewarm water for 10 minutes. Cut off the outer skin of each piece and place back in the same bowl to soak for another 10 minutes. Add to a blender with about 1/2 cup of the soaking water. Blend, strain through a sieve and squeeze out excess juice using a spatula or spoon to press the pulp down. Add to an ice cube tray to freeze overnight. Taurani also uses the trays to freeze and store a healthy concoction that promises to heal bad throat congestion. She shares the recipe:

Congestion elixirs

INGREDIENTS 
For healing elixir with ginger  
 3-inch fresh ginger with skin 
 3 tbsp coriander seeds 
 500-600ml water 
For healing elixir with turmeric 
 3-inch turmeric 
 3 tbsp carrom seeds 
 1/4 tsp black pepper powder 
 500-600ml water

METHOD (same for both)
Add ginger/turmeric (depending on which elixir you are making) to a blender, coriander/carrom seeds, and water and blend. 
Strain out the liquid mixture and add to an ice tray to freeze overnight.
Once the cubes have frozen overnight, add 1-2 ice cubes in a mug with hot water and 1 tsp honey/jaggery/coconut sugar. Use within three months. 

‘Weekend ready for drinks’
Zeenia Wadia, Media professional, Byculla

Byculla resident Zeenia Wadia confesses, “Ours is a Parsi household. We are big on day drinking,” she quips, adding, “I’m super passionate about mixology and cocktail making. I love to experiment with pairing different fruits with spirits and make cocktails for my family and friends.” 

Any spirit she wants to have for the weekend, be it Aperol and blueberry, Aperol with cinnamon and rosemary, or even gin mixed with fruits or cucumber, Wadia sets in big moulds. “We even have jello-shot ice moulds that I infuse with fruit.”

During the week, she takes a vote from family members and friends for spirit preferences. “I then infuse citrus fruits a night prior in my choice of spirit. My coffee moulds usually last two nights and are consumed over a very long period. This helps on a lazy day!”

‘Coffee cubes save me a ton of time’
Shirin Kapadia, Fitness coach, nutritionist and founder, Parama Wellness

Fitness coach and nutritionist Shirin Kapadia pours black coffee made using a French press into the tray and sets it overnight. She uses the cubes to make an iced latte

Shirin Kapadia needs a strong brew every morning. When she came across the hack that she could make a strong batch of coffee and set it into cubes in a tray, she had to try it. “I brew the coffee in a filter or a French press and allow the brewed coffee to cool to room temperature. One can speed up the process by placing it in the refrigerator or freezer for a short while, but make sure it’s not hot when you pour it into the ice trays,” she explains.

Once the coffee has cooled, she carefully pours it into the compartments of an ice cube tray. “Fill each compartment to the top, but avoid overfilling as the coffee will expand when it freezes, usually within a few hours, depending on the freezer’s temperature,” she adds.

Use the cubes to chill and flavour your iced coffee. “I simply place a few coffee ice cubes in a glass and pour freshly brewed coffee or milk over them. As the cubes melt, they’ll infuse your drink with rich coffee flavour without diluting it. I even throw it into my blender when making my protein smoothie. The cubes last me a week,” she says, showcasing the versatility of these coffee cubes. 

Tips: Experiment with variations by adding cinnamon powder or a vanilla extract.

Make ’em mimosas
Rini Chatterjee, Media professional, Delhi

Rini Chatterjee

Delhi-based Rini Chatterjee uses the tray in more than one way. “I love to chop fresh herbs, place them in the ice tray, and top them with olive oil or melted butter. This way, I have handy portions to add flavour to dishes. I also make floral ice cubes by placing edible flowers in the tray before pouring water,” says the media professional. These creative uses of ice trays add a unique touch to your dishes and make your cooking experience more enjoyable and exciting. 

Another easy favourite hack she uses is to make fruit popsicles in the summer. “Pour juice or blended fruits into the ice trays, insert a toothpick or small stick into each compartment, and voila. But mimosa bombs are the best! I use them to add a flavourful twist on the classic cocktail, perfect for parties or brunches,” she says.

Mimosa

INGREDIENTS 
2 cups fresh fruit juice
Fruit pieces (optional)

METHOD 
Pour into an ice tray, filling each slot about two-thirds full. Add small fruit pieces for flavour and visual appeal; freeze overnight. 
Add one or two cubes to a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine or champagne for serving. As the cubes melt, they infuse the drink with added flavour. 

TIP
Transfer them to a Ziplock bag or airtight container to store them longer. They will last several months without losing quality.

‘Craving ramen, soup?  Bas do minute!’

Frozen ramen stock cubes can be added to make a piping hot bowl of ramen. PIC/ANURAG AHIRE

When food writer and restaurant consultant Nikhil Merchant lived in LA, his freezer was stocked with ‘frozen stock cubes’ used in soups, ramen, and pasta sauces. Merchant uses ‘waste ingredients’ from the kitchen for the stock cubes, “mainly tops or ends of vegetables which are usually discarded—think carrots, cabbage centres, coriander stalks, onion peels, mushroom bottoms, and then I add a small chilli with smashed garlic and couple spoons of soya sauce to about 4-5 cups of water. Cover and cook it till it reduces to half and changes colour. I usually add two tablespoons of flavouring stock cube (veggie or chicken) and dissolve it. Once cooled, it’s strained and poured into ice trays and frozen,” says Merchant, adding that cubes last up to 45 days without losing flavour.

Tips: Dedicate trays for food to be used for food only. Keep the ones with meat (if you use bones) and vegetarian ones separate for fear of cross-contamination.

Use trays with lids. If you are a meat eater, adding bones of poultry or meat will give the stock cube a nice dimension and body. 

Freezing points

Ice cream man of Trayog, Parag Chaphekar, gives practical tips on utilising a freezer:
>>  Segregate items which give off odour. Keep it covered in tight, sealed bowls or bags. 
>>  Milk and milk products absorb smell very fast, which can also spoil the taste
>>  Frozen peas should be stored in vacuum-sealed bags.  
>>  Note that all foods have bacteria. At a freezer’s temperature (-18C), bacteria won’t multiply. 
>>  Don’t put room temperature items in the freezer as it will drop the overall temperature, which can melt gravies or ice cream. This affects the texture. 
>>  Rapidly cool the material, bring it to a low level, and then transfer it to the freezer. At home, keep it in the fridge before you freeze it.

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