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

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 grannyrsquos house dry fruits stored neatly or not in vacuumsealed bags leftover pizza from three nights ago and dessert tubs that hold the promise of taking you off your diet plansThe freezer is a treasure trove of practicalitymdashdessert tubs that sometimes store peas and most times your favourite pickmeup flavour of ice cream frozen meats and ice trays for impromptu drinks When we stumbled upon social mediarsquos 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 againlsquoFor a clear throat and skin thatrsquos freshlookingrsquoRaveena Taurani Certified plantbased chef and culinary nutritionistPlantbased chef Raveena Taurani uses ice trays to freeze and store a healthy concoction that promises to heal bad throat congestionRaveena Taurani loves to DIY She uses the ice tray to store aloe vera ice cubes made from the juice she applies to her face ldquoI 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 freezerrdquo 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 12 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 recipeCongestion elixirsINGREDIENTSFor healing elixir with ginger 3inch fresh ginger with skin3 tbsp coriander seeds500600ml waterFor healing elixir with turmeric3inch turmeric3 tbsp carrom seeds14 tsp black pepper powder500600ml waterMETHOD same for bothAdd gingerturmeric depending on which elixir you are making to a blender coriandercarrom seeds and water and blendStrain out the liquid mixture and add to an ice tray to freeze overnightOnce the cubes have frozen overnight add 12 ice cubes in a mug with hot water and 1 tsp honeyjaggerycoconut sugar Use within three monthslsquoWeekend ready for drinksrsquoZeenia Wadia Media professional BycullaByculla resident Zeenia Wadia confesses ldquoOurs is a Parsi household We are big on day drinkingrdquo she quips adding ldquoIrsquom super passionate about mixology and cocktail making I love to experiment with pairing different fruits with spirits and make cocktails for my family and friendsrdquoAny 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 ldquoWe even have jelloshot ice moulds that I infuse with fruitrdquoDuring the week she takes a vote from family members and friends for spirit preferences ldquoI 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 dayrdquolsquoCoffee cubes save me a ton of timersquoShirin Kapadia Fitness coach nutritionist and founder Parama WellnessFitness 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 latteShirin 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 ldquoI 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 itrsquos not hot when you pour it into the ice traysrdquo she explainsOnce the coffee has cooled she carefully pours it into the compartments of an ice cube tray ldquoFill each compartment to the top but avoid overfilling as the coffee will expand when it freezes usually within a few hours depending on the freezerrsquos temperaturerdquo she addsUse the cubes to chill and flavour your iced coffee ldquoI simply place a few coffee ice cubes in a glass and pour freshly brewed coffee or milk over them As the cubes melt theyrsquoll 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 weekrdquo she says showcasing the versatility of these coffee cubesTips Experiment with variations by adding cinnamon powder or a vanilla extractMake rsquoem mimosasRini Chatterjee Media professional DelhiRini ChatterjeeDelhibased Rini Chatterjee uses the tray in more than one way ldquoI 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 waterrdquo 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 excitingAnother easy favourite hack she uses is to make fruit popsicles in the summer ldquoPour 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 brunchesrdquo she saysMimosaINGREDIENTS2 cups fresh fruit juiceFruit pieces optionalMETHODPour into an ice tray filling each slot about twothirds full Add small fruit pieces for flavour and visual appeal freeze overnightAdd 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 flavourTIPTransfer them to a Ziplock bag or airtight container to store them longer They will last several months without losing qualitylsquoCraving ramen soup Bas do minutersquoFrozen ramen stock cubes can be added to make a piping hot bowl of ramen PICANURAG AHIREWhen food writer and restaurant consultant Nikhil Merchant lived in LA his freezer was stocked with lsquofrozen stock cubesrsquo used in soups ramen and pasta sauces Merchant uses lsquowaste ingredientsrsquo from the kitchen for the stock cubes ldquomainly tops or ends of vegetables which are usually discardedmdashthink 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 45 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 itrsquos strained and poured into ice trays and frozenrdquo says Merchant adding that cubes last up to 45 days without losing flavourTips 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 crosscontaminationUse trays with lids If you are a meat eater adding bones of poultry or meat will give the stock cube a nice dimension and bodyFreezing pointsIce cream man of Trayog Parag Chaphekar gives practical tips on utilising a freezergtgt thinspSegregate items which give off odour Keep it covered in tight sealed bowls or bagsgtgt thinspMilk and milk products absorb smell very fast which can also spoil the tastegtgt thinspFrozen peas should be stored in vacuumsealed bags gtgt thinspNote that all foods have bacteria At a freezerrsquos temperature 18C bacteria wonrsquot multiplygtgt thinspDonrsquot put room temperature items in the freezer as it will drop the overall temperature which can melt gravies or ice cream This affects the texturegtgt thinspRapidly 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