Alcohol-Free Lychee Slush with the Ninja Slushi

The delicate flesh of the lychee creates an incredibly smooth texture in the machine, provided you properly balance the fruit’s natural sugar. During my first attempt with fresh fruit and no syrup, the mixture lacked sugar and jammed the auger. Since then, I have been using the version in syrup to achieve a thick, intensely fragrant slush that can be enjoyed with a straw or a spoon, with a touch of lime to brighten everything up.

Alcohol-Free Lychee Slush with the Ninja Slushi

Recipe by Camille Roos

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Slush / GranitaCuisine: Difficulty: Easy

Servings

4

people

Prep

10

minutes

Freeze time

45

minutes

Total time

55

minutes

The delicate flesh of the lychee creates an incredibly smooth texture in the machine. Using fruit in syrup ensures the perfect sugar balance for a flawless slush.

Ingredients

• 500 g lychees in syrup (drained, pitted)

• 250 ml of the syrup from the can

• 200 ml water

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Instructions

• In a blender, blend the drained lychees with the syrup, water, and lime juice until you get a very smooth liquid. The canned syrup ensures the exact sugar level to prevent a block of ice.
• Pass the mixture through a sieve or fine mesh strainer to remove any remaining pulp. Filtering the pulp prevents clogging the pour spout during service.
• Pour the filtered liquid into the Ninja Slushi bowl, making sure to fill between the min and max marks.
• Select the Slush program and let it run for about 45 minutes, until you reach a thick and frozen texture.

Frozen Lychee-Raspberry version

Frozen Lychee-Raspberry version : Add a handful of fresh raspberries during blending. Their touch of acidity breaks the sweetness of the lychee and gives your slush a superb pink color.

The trap of fresh lychees and the sugar rule

Lychee is a deceptive fruit. In the mouth, it seems extremely sweet, but once blended with water, the overall sugar level drops very quickly. This is exactly the mistake I made at the beginning: I wanted to prepare a 100% fresh drink without adding sugar. As a result, the lack of sugar caused the water to freeze too quickly, forming a hard ice cube that jammed the machine’s auger. For the Ninja Slushi to create that perfect churned slush, it needs a sugar ratio of about 12 to 15% which acts as an antifreeze. Using a can of lychees in syrup is the most reliable and fastest trick: the manufacturer has already calibrated the liquid. You pour, you blend, and it sets consistently every time.

Achieving a smooth slush without clogging

Another characteristic of the lychee is its slightly fibrous flesh. Even with an excellent blender, tiny filaments always remain. If you leave them, they will not only ruin that smooth sensation you are looking for, but above all, they will clump around the pour spout during service. Really take the two minutes needed to filter your preparation through a fine sieve before pouring it into the bowl. You will get a milky white liquid that will turn into an almost creamy snow under the action of the Slush program. It is a refined texture ideal for a summer alcohol-free aperitif. And if you like to surprise your guests with unusual mocktails, I also recommend trying the Frozen Virgin Mary: the tomato mocktail made in the Ninja Slushi, another recipe that shakes up aperitif habits!

Do you prefer this recipe with seasonal fresh lychees or in syrup for more simplicity?

Frequently asked questions

Can you use fresh lychees instead of canned ones in syrup?

Yes, but you must add a simple sugar syrup to reach the necessary 12 to 15% sugar level. Without this, your preparation will freeze into a block and cause the machine to flash.

My lychee drink is still too liquid after 45 minutes, why?

The setting time depends on the initial temperature of your ingredients. If your water and cans were at room temperature, simply let it run for another 15 to 20 minutes.

Can alcohol be added to make it a real cocktail?

Absolutely. Replace the water with 100 to 150 ml of vodka or white rum, and you must switch to the Frozen Cocktail program so the machine correctly manages the freezing point modified by the alcohol.