This is a Puerto Rican Blueberry Shaved Ice. We call it Piragua de Pitufo, basically a smurf’s shaved ice. It is sweet, refreshing, and the best part is that it is made in only 10 minutes.
This Piragua de Pitufo is that summer drink that is great any time of the year. If you are in Puerto Rico, you can buy this almost everywhere, but if you’re not, now you have the homemade blueberry syrup.
Even if you were on the island, they are not that cheap, so it is great to know how to make these yourself. Plus, it will be way cheaper to make this blueberry shaved ice at home.
The best part is that this blueberry syrup has the same base as the strawberry syrup recipe. Which means you can also make a Puerto Rican strawberry piragua.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Water & sugar- The base is just made with water and white granulated sugar. It is 1 part sugar and 1 part water.
- Lemon juice- The lemon juice adds acidity to the syrup, and it balances the sweetness of the recipe.
- Blueberry extract- The extract is how we add the blueberry flavor.
- Blue food coloring- You only need a few drops. If you don’t like using food coloring, you can leave it out. Is just a visual thing; it really doesn’t do anything for the flavor.
- Ice- This can be any type of ice, but it has to be crushed. The quantity will depend on the size of the piragua you make.
How to Make Piragua de Blueberry
- Photo 1: In a small pot, add the water, sugar, and lemon juice and cook for 5 minutes. Stir for 2 minutes. This helps the sugar dissolve faster. Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool. Add the blueberry extract and blue food coloring and mix.
- Photo 2: Transfer the syrup to a bottle or container. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use.
- Photo 3: Crush the ice and add it to a cup. Add extra ice on the top of the cup to make a cone or dome shape.
- Photo 4: Slowly add the syrup over the ice, and you’re ready to enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Make it a sugar-free blueberry syrup– Use half of the quantity of sugar the recipe calls for and substitute it with granulated stevia or splenda.
- Ice- Don’t crush the ice too much. The more you crush the ice, the more you will need. Plus, it will probably melt faster.
- Buying the syrup- If you don’t want to make the syrup, you can buy a blueberry flavor syrup online. My favorite brand is Poly Sirops that are made in Puerto Rico.
More Piragua Recipes
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Piragua de Pitufo (Blueberry Shaved Ice)
Ingredients
Blueberry syrup
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon blueberry extract
- ¼ teaspoon blue food coloring
Piragua de pitufo (blueberry shaved ice)
- ice *see notes
- ½ cup blueberry syrup
Instructions
Blueberry syrup
- In a small saucepan, add sugar, water, and lemon juice over high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Stir for the first 2 minutes to make sure the sugar dissolves. Let the mix simmer. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the blue food coloring and blueberry extract. Let the syrup cool before storing. Use an airtight container to store it, and keep it in the fridge.
Piragua
- In a blender, add ice and crush it. Add the ice to a cup and put extra ice on top. Make a piramid/dome shape on top with another cup or a funnel. Add about half a cup of the syrup (this can change depending on the size of your cup). ¡Buen Provecho!
Recipe Notes
- Sugar free piragua- You just have to make the syrup sugar free. You have to elimanate the white sugar when making the syrup. Use granulated stevia or splenda. You only need half the sugar of what the recipe needs.
- Ice- The amount of ice will vary depending on the cup you use. In my case, I used a 9 0z cup. I use the same cup I’m using and fill it up twice with ice. This is enough to fill up the cup and make a little dome shape on top.
- Lemon juice- I used lemon juice, but you can also use lime juice. You can use fresh or the concentrate juice that comes in a bottle.
- Food coloring- I used ¼ of a teaspoon, but it only takes about 3 drops to make the syrup blue.
- Storing- You want to store the syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
*The nutrition information is automatically calculated, so this is only an approximation.
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