Twissted Swisster

Eiswürfelbeutel (Ice Cube Making Bags)

The trouble with Switzerland.  The trouble with Switzerland for an American is ice cubes.  This is an epic party conversation starter at expat parties and social events.  For the American pallet anything less than ice cold Coke, or Gin & Tonics without a good pile of ‘rocks’ is just not going to cut it.

Ice is like the holy grail of a good party for me.  For years now I have been buying ice and absolutely insane costs from the local getranktmarkt (beverage shop) for our annual first of August party.  It was not uncommon for me to spend between 30 and 50 CHF on ice to fill my American sized cooler to ensure I had the beer and soft drinks at an acceptable temperature to satisfy an American thirst.

Yesterday, I was amazed to find a truly Swiss solution to my decidedly American problem.  And where did I find my solution?  Probably the last place I ever expected to find it.  At a Swiss Housewarming party.

As I was offered and G&T by the Swiss Party host I started the lament my ice cube issue.  She immediately turned to me with a stunned look telling me that she had so much ice that she would have to throw away.  “No, don’t do it!” I screamed, offering to take the cubes home with me in my pockets if I had to.

Then she showed me the trick.  Eiswürfelbeutel.  These ingenious little plastic bags solve the problem that every American has come across.  How the heck can I fit my American sized ice cube trays into these tiny freezers?

The Eiswürfelbeutel are essentially plastic ziplock bags that can be filled with water.  They are ‘stitched’ with a quilt like square pattern so that it almost looks like bubble wrap when it is filled with water.  After the water freezes a quick tug on the side of the bag and the stitches break and you are left with a bag of ice.

You’ll still need to have some room in you freezer for the bags, but the fact that you can squish them in the freezer makes them much more convenient than the hard plastic trays I am familiar with from the U.S.

You can buy the bags at Migro in a hanging plastic bag packaging.  The cost is about 2 CHF for enough bags to make 220 cubes.  It is amazing that I am still learning about such things after more than 4 years in this country.  I can’t even imagine what my next discovery will be.