Prepare More Sophisticated Freeze-Dried Fruit Drinks
Like any millennial who grew up littered with space camp ads (but never walked), I have a lot of respect for freeze drying. Dippin ‘Dots may claim to be the “ice cream of the future,” but you won’t find it in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. No, this particular gift shop sells freeze-dried ice cream, also known as “astronaut ice cream”, which astronauts cruelly cannot take with them into space (too dusty).
Freeze-dried foods are fun in terms of texture and have become a lot more popular since space camp. Trader Joe’s is a particularly prolific producer of freeze-dried fruits, a concentrated, vibrant fruit shape that can be chopped up and used to color and flavor anything, including frosting and cream cheese . It also makes a very beautiful drink.
Making chopped fruit powder is extremely easy: just toss a handful of it into a food processor or blender and let it spin until the fruit turns to dust. Once this is done, take the dust and sprinkle it on the frothy, shaken acid, use it in place of (or with) the sugar or salt on the rim of the glass, or mix right into the shake. (Freeze-dried fruit is usually unsweetened and can be a little tart depending on the brand, so try the powder before tossing it into or on the drink.)
Even if you don’t drink alcohol, the same can be applied to soft drink drinks. Sprinkle the lassi with mango powder, sprinkle a glass of lemonade with strawberry dust, or shake some chopped raspberries on top of the mocha.