Around here, we LOVE snow cones. As soon as the weather gets warm enough, we bust out our little snow making machine. Let's just say it's a good thing our freezer is equipped with an ice machine. We'd be going through bags of expensive ice if not. This is part of my summer budget saver...
You can use any simple syrup you favor, I personally like a 2:1 ratio.
2 cups regular sugar
1 cup water
1 packet of powdered soft drink mix (Kool-Aid) - You can use any flavor, even store brands & sugar-free work great. I especially LOVE to use the Kool-Aid Invisible flavors.
Bring sugar and water to a boil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally to be sure your sugar doesn't stick anywhere in the pan and burn. Once your mixture reaches a boil, immediately remove from heat. Stir in the packet of Kool-Aid (it can look a little chunky, but just keep stirring! Sometimes, a whisk is a better tool). I like to let my sugar/water come to a slight boil and sprinkle the drink mix over the top (like blooming gelatin) and I've never had more than 2 or 3 little lumps to work out...
This is the syrup after it's boiled; notice it's not really gooey thick, but coats a spoon.
Allow to cool almost completely and store in a squeeze bottle for easy dispensing. I like to use clear bottles that are usually used to hold condiments like mustard, ketchup, or oils/vinegars. You can use recycled bottles. I've read from a few blogs that people are using water bottles with the sports top, whatever works for you, I guess.
Pouring into the container - I feel like the pan might still be too hot, so I poured the syrup into a glass measuring cup first.
I love doing this, I almost always have everything needed and costs less than 30 cents to make; compared to roughly $3 a bottle for the pre-made stuff, this is a STEAL!!
Our finished product, the light in our kitchen is HORRIBLE, especially at night - SORRY.
This is sure to bring lots of smiles to you and your kiddos. I do not encourage allowing your child(ren) to help with the actually making of the syrup as boiling sugar is VERY hot!! I try to make mine while McKayla is involved with an activity or has gone to bed. Trust me, it's worth spending a little extra time in the kitchen at night or early in the morning to avoid the temptation while waiting for the syrup to cool enough to be used over shaved ice. I really love this idea for carnivals or kids' parties. They are great to keep around and you can't beat the price! You can purchase bottles similar to the ones I use at dollar stores - usually they're 2 for $1, unfortunetly, it can be hard to find clear and are usually packaged together one red and one yellow. I've found the clear ones, like mine at Wal-Mart for 97 cents. If using for a party, you can always add custom labels. I cut the part of the wrapper that specifies the flavor and tape it to the bottle. Since I use these for different flavors every time, I try not to do anything that will stay there permanently.
Enjoy!
