Pineapple Party Punch
Why I Love This Recipe
This is my favorite punch to make for parties. It has a citrus kick & is easily variable (add more pineapple, only one banana, whatever).
You'll need a very large pitcher or punch bowl to serve (or serve in stages) and room in your freezer to make it.
I've included a variation here that saves freezer space but the regular version is much easier, since there's no scraping or party-time prep needed. Look for the *** to see the variation steps.
Ingredients You'll Need
2 3/4 c water
1 c sugar
2 ripe bananas
3 c unsweetened pineapple juice
1 6-oz can orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 T lemon juice
1 1-liter Sprite, ginger ale or club soda (or any combination of these)
Directions
Dissolve sugar into water. Set aside.
Blend bananas, pineapple juice & OJ concentrate in blender.
Add juice mixture to sugar water.***
Add carbonated drink (lemon-lime pop or ginger ale). Stir gently to mix. Pour into plastic pitcher or bowl and freeze 4-24 hours (longer and the bananas will make the punch dark & unappetizing-looking).
Punch will thaw at room temperature. You will need to thaw punch at least 30-45 min before the party. It thaws slowly, even in hot weather, and stays nice & cool. Feel free to restock by adding more pop.
3a.If you don't have much freezer room or a large enough container, freeze only this portion of the punch (the juices + sugar water). Add pop at the party instead.***
5a. If you froze the version w/o the pop in it, thaw the juice + sugar water mixture for 20-30 minutes, scrape punch (like a snowcone or shaved ice) and add room-temperature pop to serve.***
For adult Pineapple Party Punch, add 1 1/2 c rum (or vodka) and add to juices. Thaw about 5-10 minutes before you begin scraping the ice.
For another variation, if you feel really ambitious, make the juice + sugar water into ice cubes and dump into bowl. Pour pop over ice cubes. I have no idea how many ice cube trays you would need other than "a lot."
Makes about 24 servings.
