Easy and Delicious Strawberry Italian Ice Recipe

Welcome! Are you looking for the perfect strawberry Italian ice recipe? You've come to the right place! Italian ice is so simple to make, yet not many people think to make it at home. Italian ice is something that comes in a little paper cup and you eat it with a little wooden spoon, not something you make. But they are wrong! You don't have to settle for store bought Italian Ice, you can make your own, and make it any way you want. This lens will show you how to make some delicious strawberry Italian Ice. Just follow these instructions and before you know it, you'll be enjoying a cool, refreshing, and relatively healthy treat.

What is Italian Ice?
Though some confuse Italian ice with snow cones or shaved ice, they are very different. A snow cone is just ice that has been crushed up into a snow-like material, or sometimes to the consistency of just finely crushed ice and some kind of flavoring added to it to flavor the ice. It's closer to a slushie, but not in liquid form. Italian ice, on the other hand, is a frozen, sort of creamy, dessert made with water, sugar, and the flavoring of your choice that has been frozen and blended so that it's smooth, with the flavors added before it's frozen, closer to gelato, but without the cream. One of the great things about Italian Ice is that it is sort of ice cream-like, but much lower in calories and no fat, so even those of us who are watching our weight can enjoy it with little guilt. It's not completely guilt-free, as it does have sugar, but it's still a much better choice than ice cream.

Where was Italian ice created?

Well, that depends on who you believe. Most will say that it was invented in Italy by the Roman Emperor, Nero. He, apparently, liked his wines to be very well-chilled, and when a servant accidentally spilled salt peter into the ice, the result was the yummy deliciousness now known as Italian ice..water-ice or ice-water. Though there are some who claim that Italian ice is actually the invention of the Chinese, created during ancient times and brought back to Europe by Marco Polo. Sort of like spaghetti was actually created in China and, somehow, the Italians get the credit. Hmmmm.. well, either way, it's cold and fruity and a delicious summer treat, but also suitable for any time of the year, really.

Personally, I've long been a fan of Italian Ice. I have fond memories as a child of hot summer days, sitting on the front porch with my family and some of the other neighborhood kids, eating a cup of cold, fruity Italian Ice we just bought from the ice cream truck with a wooden spoon. Ah, good times indeed! Though my personal favorites are strawberry and lemon, it comes in many popular fruit flavors, like watermelon, lime, orange, cherry, grape, and even sometimes chocolate.