Patriotic Punch
Red slush punch is a perfect punch for a patriotic celebration on a hot day! Its pretty red color looks festive and goes well with red, white, and blue table decor. This punch is also a big hit with children and adults because it is served partially frozen.
Serve it Other Occasions
This punch can also be served on occasions other than patriotic ones. Think about making it for Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day parties. It is also especially festive for Christmas celebrations. Don’t forget about birthday and Halloween parties. There are many times when a red punch is beautiful! We once served it at a pink bridal shower with blush colors. The darker red punch color contrasted well with the light pink flowers, and it was a hit with guests who liked the icy texture on a hot day.
How to Freeze
To make this punch, you heat a gelatin mixture and then stir in all the other ingredients except ginger ale. It is best to divide the mixture for freezing. One way to do this is to put it into two gallon-sized bags and then put it into the freezer.
It is easier to get the frozen mixture out of freezer bags than other types of containers but be sure to double-bag the mixture in case there is a leaky bag. Also, seal the inner bag almost to the corner and then squeeze out excess air. Do the same for the outer bag.
Fruity Taste
This punch has a base of strawberry gelatin with several fruit juices including fresh lemon juice, pineapple juice, and cranberry juice. I like to use freshly squeezed lemon juice, refrigerated pineapple juice, and refrigerated cranberry juice rather than canned juices. I reduced the sugar amount for this recipe but have included notes after the recipe for different sugar amounts.
The taste of strawberry gelatin works well with all the other juices in this recipe, but feel free to change it to cherry gelatin.
Spiked Punch
You can spike this punch with alcohol if you choose. Add alcohol such as vodka at the same time you add the ginger ale to the punch bowl or add a splash to each individual glass if you don’t want all the punch spiked. Enjoy!
A Versatile Punch
Keep this punch in mind for other holidays and celebrations throughout the year because it is also pretty for winter holiday parties and Valentine’s Day.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 5 minutes |
| Passive Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
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- (2) 3-ounce packages strawberry gelatin (Jell-O used)
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 6 cups water
- 46 ounces pineapple juice (Dole fresh refrigerated juice used)
- 2/3 cup lemon juice, fresh
- 32 ounces Simply Cranberry Cocktail
- (2) 2-liter bottles ginger ale, chilled
- Vodka (optional for spiked punch)
Ingredients
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- In a large pan, add the gelatin, sugar, and water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the pineapple juice, lemon juice, and cranberry cocktail. Divide and pour into two one-gallon freezer bags. Freeze for two hours or overnight.
- Remove from the freezer. If the mixture is frozen hard, let it thaw until you can break up any large chunks. To make half of the punch, place the contents of one bag into a punch bowl and pour one bottle of ginger ale over it. If using an extra-large punch bowl for a large crowd, place both slush mixtures into it and pour both ginger ales over it.
- To spike this punch, pour 1 cup of vodka in the punch bowl with one bag of punch mixture and 1 bottle of ginger ale. Or for individual servings, pour a splash of vodka in each drinking glass when you add the ginger ale. Stir.
Substitutions
- Simply Cranberry Cocktail is preferred for this recipe over other brands because it is not as tart.ย You can substitute fresh pomegranate juice for cranberry juice.
- You can substitute cherry gelatin for the strawberry.
Sugar Amounts
- If you like a sweeter punch, add 2 1/4 cups sugar instead of 1 1/4.
- If you prefer no added sugar, leave out the sugar, but use Simply Cranberry Cocktail juice so the sugar ratio will be correct.
Yield
This recipe makes (25) 8-ounce servings or (50) 1/2 cup servings.