I have a massive wedding cake this weekend plus I have to make the punch to serve 350. The punch is the basic punch recipe w/ cranberry and pineaplle juices and granulated sugar, then you add the ginger ale as the final ingredient. I was wondering if I could make up large batches of the fruit base and freeze it? I was thinking I could thaw it the night before and then just add the ginger ale at the reception site.
Has anyone ever done this before? Is it possible?
Thanks!
You can definitely freeze the non-soda part of the punch. If I have the time and want to be fancy, I freeze it in a ring and add fruit (oranges, strawberries, etc)to it. It floats in the middle of the punch bowl and looks really pretty. It won't dilute the flavor like regular ice either.
ummm..... ice rings went out before fountain cakes with stairs. 
They are a big PITA to work around in a punch bowl, especially since most punch bowls narrow at the base and the base is usually smaller than the ring, so when the punch level drops below the ice ring, you can't get to the punch. I haven't seen any of those ice ring things since the mid-to-late-70's. (and don't attribute it to me living in a large city ..... I only moved here 10 years ago ... before that I lived in one-horse-town, USA.)
I'm not sure how much time you are saving by freezing it ahead of time. You have to find freezer space to store it, allow thawing time, etc. My punch has punch, sherbet, frozen juices, frozen berries, 7-up and it takes about 2.7 minutes to make up a batch. It would take way more time for me to make it ahead of time, freeze it, and thaw it.
Using the frozen juice concentrate and the frozen berries acts as ice for the punch for me, plus the sherbet helps, too.
Here's my punch recipe that I have used for 25+ years
Mix 1 box regular jello (pick for color not flavor) with 1 and 1/2 cups sugar and 2 cups boiling water. Stir until dissolved then add 7 cups cold water, 1- 46 oz can of pineapple juice and one 12 can frozen lemonade. Mix well, I put in ziplock bags and freeze then I take out of the freezer about 3 hours befroe serving and I use a round chopper and chop until fine like slush, then I add 1 bottle of ginger ale per punch base recipe. I get raves, one recipe serves 25
Jibbies
Wow! Thanks sooo much for all the valuable feedback. I don't plan to do a punch bowl ring, I'm just trying to save time. I have to bake/decorate the 300 serving wedding cake, plus make punch to serve 350. I wourk full-time so all this has to be done in the eveings. Just trying to save time.
Looks like I will mix up the fruit juice portion, freeze it, that it the next morning and then mix the soda in with it at the reception~!
Thanks again,
Rhonda
I haven't seen any of those ice ring things since the mid-to-late-70's
You're one up on me... I didn't know anyone actually used punch bowls at all anymore! lol
Honestly I don't see the need to freeze it. It's juice and sugar--it'll be fine just refrigerated. You're making extra work for yourself.
I haven't seen any of those ice ring things since the mid-to-late-70's
You're one up on me... I didn't know anyone actually used punch bowls at all anymore! lol
You know, you're right. On the RARE occasion that I do sell the punch package, the couple usually selects the punch fountain.
But I just don't hardly even see punch at a wedding anymore (and I stay at 90+% of the ones I book, 'coz I'm doing the catering, too). If the couple is having a bar and there are soft drinks at the bar, they just forego the punch completely. When I do provide punch (it's part of my Grand Reception package), I bring 3/4's of it back with me. Even if it is there, people are opting for soda or alcohol .... they're not drinking punch.
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