It had been years since I last made ice pops and I must say, they’re just as fun to prepare as I remember. And since ice pops are the new cupcakes, I urge you to channel your inner-child and give it a go.

Store-bought ice pops are typically a blend of fruit concentrates, syrups, stabilizers (to prevent dripping), artificial colours, flavours and  sugar, lots of sugar. Actually, sugar happens to be an important ingredient in commercial ice pops because it reduces the freezing point of water. This means that it also controls the formation of ice crystals, keeping the ice pop from becoming too hard. But the great thing about doing it yourself is that you’re in control and you can skimp on the white stuff and choose to let the sweetness of the fruit shine through (even if the resulting ice pop is slightly harder and more “drippy”).

As you can appreciate, ice pops are definitely on my list of  DIY foods. They’re simple to make and a fun way to highlight summer’s bounty. And if you have kids around, even better. Have them pitch-in and participate in the creative process:

• Use different fruits
• Add whole slices of berries and fruit to your molds
• Layer different colours for a more artsy effect
• Freeze your next smoothie batch and enjoy as a refreshing snack

If you own a blender, ice pop mold and freezer, the options are endless.

 

 

 

 Watermelon Mint

• 4 cups watermelon chunks
• 12-15 fresh mint leaves

1. Place the watermelon in the blender and purée until smooth. Add the mint and blend until evenly specked.

2. Pour into molds, freeze and enjoy.

* If you find the herb flavour too pronounced as you taste it out the blender, don’t worry. Freezing will automatically tone it down.

Strawberry Basil

• 4 cups fresh strawberries, washed
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons honey (depending on how tart your strawberries are)
• 10 basil leaves

1. Place the strawberries, water and honey in the blender and purée until smooth. Add the basil and blend until evenly specked.

2. Pour into holds, freeze and enjoy,

Lemon Honey Rosemary

• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 8 lemons)
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 7 tablespoons honey
• 1 sprig rosemary

1. Juice lemons, strain and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan over low-heat, whisk 1/4 cup of water with the honey and steep the rosemary sprig. Let simmer for 5 minutes, remove the rosemary sprig and let cool slightly.

3. In a blender, combine the lemon juice, honey and remaining 1 cup of water. Blend until smooth. (I prefer it on the tart side but feel free to adjust the sweetness to taste)

4. Pour into molds, freeze and enjoy.

 

 Are you a fan of sweet & savoury? When was the last time you made ice pops? What do you eat or drink to chill out?