Sweet & Spicy Summer Slushy

We right smack in the middle of summer and in case you have not noticed or been away at Antarctica, IT IS HOT!  One of my favorite ways to cool off and have a delicious and healthy snack is to make myself a sweet and spicy slushy.  What I love about this recipe is that it is highly customizable.  If you don't like any aspect of it (such as the fruit used, or the spicy seasoning) you can omit or change it!  Here are some of the things you will need:

FRUIT!!  Pretty much any fruit you enjoy can work for this.  You can mix and match as you like.  For this version I used fresh peaches, blueberries and strawberries.  Another popular mix I like to use is oranges, pineapple and mango.  If you don't want to bother with fresh fruit or it is not in season you can always use frozen fruit.

You will also need to use some kind of liquid to help make your slushy, well, slushy.  I like to use juice that compliments the fruit.  In this case I used a blueberry pomegranate acia.  If juice is unavailable, plain water is always an option.  Just keep in mind it will not add an extra flavor. 

For the seasoning I love to use just a bit of sweetener (I use Splenda to avoid added sugar) and a combination of the salty spicy condiments called chamoy and Tajin.  These last two are completely optional if those flavors are not your thing.  The sweetener helps bring out the flavor of the fruit.

As far as hardware goes, you will need a blender, a long spoon, and several glasses to pour your slushy into.

So, to review, here is what you need to make your slushy:

approx, 2 cups of fruit fresh or frozen.
1- 1 1/2 cups of liquid
1-2 tbsp sweetener
1-2 tbsp each of Tajin and chamoy
1-1 1/2 cups of ice

These ratios are not set in stone.  You can play around with them to your own personal tastes.  If you want a sweeter slushy, then add more sweetener. If the idea of adding the Tajin or chamoy does not suit your tastes, then you can leave it out.  The point of this is to find your slushy flavor profile.  These are just guidelines. 

The first step to make your slushy is to put your fruit in the blender.  I like to add it first because it it soft and will blend well at the bottom vs the hard frozen ice.  If you are using frozen fruit, I would use less ice and perhaps a little more liquid.  It is also a good idea to cut the larger fruit into smaller pieces as they will blend better.

Next add your sweetener as well as the Tajin and chamoy.

After that add the liquid as well as the ice.

Now just blend away!

Make sure to check the consistency of your slushy.  The long spoon serves this purpose as well as giving you a way to taste test your concoction.  If the slushy is too stiff and hard add more liquid.  If it is too loose, add more ice.

The last step is my favorite.  After you have gotten your slushy how you want it, serve and enjoy!

Lastly I will leave you with some suggestions for variations on this simple treat.  My personal favorite is using the Dole frozen tropical fruit blend with orange juice as my liquid.  Berry blends also work really well together.  Lastly, I have found that for the more adult readers out there, this is a great way to make a delicious frozen sangria.  Just use your favorite bottled sangria with maybe a little bit of orange juice and whatever fruit you would normally enjoy with said sangria.  Give it a whirl in the blender and there you go!