How to make slush

Making slush yourself is easier than most people think. You don't need an expensive machine — an ordinary blender and some ice cubes will do. If you do have a slush machine, you simply pour it in.

What you need

• Slush syrup of your choice
• Ice cubes
• Cold water
• A blender or a slush machine
• A glass and a straw

Using a blender

1 — Ice, syrup and water into the blender
One part syrup to five parts ice and water. For a 0.4 litre glass that's roughly 65 ml of syrup. More ice than water gives you the creamier texture.

2 — Blend for 30 seconds
Blend until the mixture crunches and turns creamy and there are no coarse pieces of ice left. Still too runny? Add a handful of ice and give it another 10 seconds.

3 — Into the glass, straw in
Done. Too sweet? Use more ice next time. Too mild? A splash more syrup.

Using a slush machine

Pour syrup and water straight into the tank at a 1:5 ratio and let the machine run. No ice needed — the machine takes care of that. How long it takes to reach the right texture is in your machine's manual; it's usually 30 to 60 minutes.

Tips

You decide how sweet it is. More water and ice makes the slush milder — handy when children are drinking it too.

Mix the flavours. Two flavours together in the blender give you a new colour and a new taste. Strawberry and cola works surprisingly well.

Chill it first. If the water is already cold, the slush sets faster.

Storage

Cool and dark, a kitchen cupboard is ideal. The syrup doesn't like direct sun or heat — colour and flavour suffer. Unopened it keeps for at least 12 months; once opened, keep the bottle in the fridge and use it within about 4 weeks. The bottles are resealable.