How to Make Hawaiian Shaved Ice

Contrary to the name, shaved ice isn't crunchy. It's very light and fluffy, like snow. What Hawaiians call shaved ice is known in other parts of the nation as sno balls or snow cones. Now you can gather together all the ingredients to make a Hawaiian Shaved Ice and capture its famous snowy-slushy texture.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Decide whether you want to make Hawaiian Shaved Ice for just you and a few friends or if you want to start up a business. This is an important factor so you'll know what kind of equipment and supplies you'll need to buy.
2. Find an ice shaver machine. There's a huge variety available online, anything from portable to commercial, with prices from $30 and up. Look for one that's easy to clean, with blades that are easy to change, extra ice molds and at least a 90-day warranty.
3. Produce the right ice. A couple of ice molds will come with most machines to serve as frozen ice blocks, the best way to "make" shaved ice. Hawaiian Shaved Ice will need to be shaved finer than that of a regular snow cone so the syrup colors will last longer. Block ice can be "tempered" or left out until it becomes a bit soft, which will make it easier to shave into a slushy ice.
4. Choose syrup flavors. There are over 100 choices available, including strawberry, banana, kiwi, grape, pineapple and more. Then there's all the ones you can mix together, like lime and lemon, for a key lime pie flavor, and more. You can choose from ready-made syrups or concentrate. The latter choice is recommended, since it's usually less expensive and goes further.
5. Put it all together, follow the instructions accompanying the machine and try out some different recipes. If you need more help, you can get a free 106-page shaved ice manual online (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• When deciding between a shaved ice machine or a manual ice shaver, take into consideration that some only accept ice cubes, which make crunchy shaved ice, not slushy ice.
• If you plan to allow younger children to make icy desserts, a sno cone machine is safer than a shaved ice machine.