If you want to make something yummy and simple to cool off on hot days, try these homemade popsicle recipes! It can be a very easy process, like freezing orange juice into cubes, or you can "dust off" the blender for something more creative, mixing the flavors and making multi-layered popsicles. Free your imagination and stimulate the taste buds!
Ingrediants
Orange cubes
- 250 ml of orange juice
- 15 ml of syrup
- 30ml lemon juice (optional)
with Cream and Strawberries
- 500 g of strawberries
- 60 ml of cream
- 80 ml of syrup
- 15 ml of lemon juice
"Semaphore" icicles
- 100 g of strawberries
- 75 ml of syrup
- 3 large peaches
- 5 large kiwis
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Orange Cubes
Step 1. Pour the orange juice into a bowl and mix it with the syrup
Work the two ingredients with a kitchen whisk to mix them thoroughly. Consider using freshly squeezed juice that you can find in many grocery stores because it is definitely less diluted and tastier.
- If you love more intense flavors, add 30ml of lemon juice as well.
- Feel free to experiment with any fruit juice differently; you can use grape, pineapple, watermelon and even lemonade, it just depends on your preferences!
- You can also try adding some vegetable juices; that of carrots which is sweet by nature and makes the flavor of the popsicles more complex.
Step 2. Pour the mixture into an empty, clean ice cube tray
Try to fill each compartment almost to the edge but without letting the liquid overflow, otherwise the cubes will melt into a single block.
Step 3. Cover the tray with aluminum foil or cling film
Make sure the sheet adheres well.
Use masking tape to seal the edges of the cover and hold it in place
Step 4. Insert a toothpick into each cube by pulling it through the foil or foil
They will be the sticks for the ice cubes. Make sure they are upright and skewered deep so that the juice freezes all around.
Step 5. Place the tray in the freezer
To make sure the cubes solidify completely, leave them in the freezer overnight. If you can't wait, check them after 2-3 hours.
You can move a toothpick to see if the juice is well frozen
Step 6. Take the tray out of the freezer once the cubes are solid
Remove the cover and enjoy the mini popsicles!
Step 7. Fold and twist the tray to loosen the cubes and then pull them out by grabbing the stick
Proceed gently to avoid breaking the tray.
If you are having difficulty, try dipping the base of the tray quickly in hot water
Method 2 of 3: Cream and Strawberries
Step 1. Remove the stalks from the strawberries.
It is better for an adult to take care of this, as it is necessary to use a knife. Take a small sharp knife (the one for peeling is best), place it on the thumb of the dominant hand so that the tip of the blade protrudes beyond the finger for about 1.5 cm; hold the strawberry with the opposite hand.
- Insert the tip of the knife in the upper part of the fruit, just under the leaves, in the area where the white and red color blend together; hold the blade at a 45 ° angle.
- Rotate the strawberry and the knife in opposite directions.
- Keep cutting until the knife reaches the starting point and you can easily extract the heart of the fruit.
Step 2. Puree the strawberries using a blender
You need to get a smooth and dense mixture; ask for the help of an adult to avoid cutting yourself with the blades or dirtying the whole kitchen!
- If you don't have fresh strawberries, you can replace them with frozen ones; fruit is frozen when ripe, so it should taste great.
- You can also leave some strawberry pieces to vary the texture of the popsicles. Use the "pulse" function of the blender to not homogenize all the fruit; alternatively, then add some strawberry slices to the mixture.
Step 3. Place the colander over a bowl and sift the puree
You have to keep all the small seeds, so check that the retina is very fine to allow only the passage of the juice.
- You can also decide to skip this step; in this case, the popsicles will not be very smooth and the seeds will get stuck between the teeth, but the flavor will still be great.
- If you decide to leave some pieces of fruit in the puree, do not sift it otherwise you will also lose these elements.
Step 4. Add the syrup, cream and lemon juice to the pureed strawberries, working the mixture with a whisk until the ingredients are well blended
The mixture should have a uniform color and consistency; if you notice white streaks of cream, you need to mix a little more.
- If you don't like strawberries, do some experimenting; try watermelon, mango, blueberries and any other fruit you like. Look for ripe, in-season fruits to enjoy their sweetest, most intense flavor.
- Try substituting cream with coconut milk for "tropical" popsicles.
- You can also improvise the sweetener; instead of syrup, you can use agave nectar, honey or maple syrup.
Step 5. Pour the mixture into the popsicle molds
Fill them almost to the edge but without letting the liquid overflow, otherwise the popsicles will melt together as they freeze. You need to leave some space to allow the compost to expand.
- If you don't have molds, you can make some artisanal ones by pouring the puree into plastic or paper cups.
- Do not use glass molds. The liquid expands as it freezes and could break the container; if this happened, the popsicles would be ruined and you would end up with a dangerous mess in the freezer.
Step 6. Close the molds with the lid
Typically, they come with a lid with a stick. If the model in your possession does not have it or you are using plastic cups, cover the containers with aluminum foil or cling film in an almost airtight manner; then insert a stick into each mold crossing the cover.
- Do not move the stick much, the smaller the hole in the film, the straighter the handle remains.
- You can also use plastic knives as sticks; just be careful not to lick the rough side when eating the popsicles!
Step 7. Return the molds to the freezer
Let them sit overnight to make sure the popsicles have solidified; however, be aware that they could still be ready in about four hours.
Step 8. Remove the molds from the freezer when they are perfectly frozen
If you try to swing the stick, you should feel it well stuck and firm. You can run hot water along the outer walls and bottom to take out the whole popsicle.
If you used a paper cup, you can break it and peel it off like a "peel" from the popsicle
Method 3 of 3: "Traffic Light" Icicles
Step 1. Ask an adult to help you prepare the fruit, as you need to peel and slice it
All the fruits should be ripe (or even more than ripe) because they are sweeter and therefore you don't have to add any more sugar.
Step 2. Remove the stalks from the strawberries.
Use a sharp knife to remove the core.
- Insert the tip of the blade into the top of the strawberry, right in the area where the white color merges with the red one.
- Cut off the central white portion of each fruit to remove the leaves as well.
Step 3. Puree the strawberries using a blender
If you don't have fresh ones, you can also use the frozen version; the flavor may not be that intense, but the popsicles will still be delicious!
Clean the appliance after use as you will need it later for peaches and kiwis
Step 4. Place the colander or sieve on a bowl and strain the puree
In doing so, you should hold back all the seeds so that they do not end up in the juice to be frozen.
Step 5. Add 25 ml of syrup to the strawberry puree while mixing carefully
- You can use another type of sweetener, such as honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar.
- Taste the mixture to see if it is sweet enough and, if not, add a little more syrup according to your taste.
Step 6. Pour the mixture into the molds filling them only 1/3 of the capacity
- If you don't have molds, you can use paper or plastic cups.
- Do not use glass containers instead of molds, the juice expands as it freezes and could break the container. If this happened, your popsicles would be ruined and you would end up with a dangerous mess in the freezer.
Step 7. Place the molds in the freezer until the strawberry mixture is solidified
It may take a couple of hours. Cover the containers with cling film or aluminum foil; if the molds have a lid with a stick, avoid using it otherwise the first layer will solidify around it and you cannot add the other two compounds.
Step 8. Peel the peaches with a peeler or knife
If you don't have fresh fruit, you can use canned fruit which is already cleaned, pitted and sliced; you just need to remove the preservative liquid from the can.
Step 9. Remove the stones from the peaches and slice them finely
In this way, the blender motor is not subjected to excessive work when it has to turn fruit into puree; use a sharp knife and cut the peaches until you meet the pit.
- Slide the blade along the circumference of the fruit holding it against the inner seed to cut the peach in half.
- Hold the fruit in your hands and twist each half in opposite directions until they come apart; the core should remain in one of the two.
- Remove it with your fingers or the tip of the knife.
Step 10. Blend the peaches and add 25ml of sugar syrup
Taste the blend to check its flavor; if it's not sweet enough, add more syrup until you're satisfied.
Clean the blender so you can use it for kiwifruit
Step 11. Pour the peach mixture into the molds
Fill them only another third of the capacity and cover them with aluminum foil or cling film.
Make sure that the strawberry puree is completely solidified, otherwise the two compounds will mix together; the flavor is still great, but you don't get the layered effect
Step 12. Return the jars to the freezer until the peach layer is completely frozen
It will take another two hours.
Step 13. Peel the kiwis with a knife or peeler and slice them finely
Remember to remove all the hairy peel and discard the top and bottom ends of the fruit.
Step 14. Puree them and add the last 25ml of sugar syrup to the blender
Mix everything until you get a smooth and dense mixture; again, taste the puree to make sure it's sweet at the right point.
Step 15. Pour it into popsicle molds
Make sure the kiwifruit mixture does not overflow from the bowls, otherwise the popsicles will melt into a single block. Leave some space to allow the liquid to expand and allow the stick to be inserted.
Step 16. Close the mold with the lid
Typically, these popsicle containers come with a lid with a built-in stick that you need to push into the already frozen portion of the juice.
- If the molds do not have this lid, you have lost it or you have decided to use paper and / or plastic cups, close the containers tightly with cling film or aluminum foil.
- Insert the stick through the cover making sure it stays straight; you can also skewer it up to the peach layer to secure it securely.
Step 17. Return to the freezer for another 2 hours or until the kiwi puree has solidified
Check that the popsicle is completely hardened by trying to move one of the sticks; it should be firm and immobile. You can run hot water along the outer walls and the bottom of the mold to take the popsicles out in one piece, just make sure they don't come off the handle
Step 18. The treats should be divided into three uniform layers of pink, yellow and green, just like a traffic light
After enjoying them, you can consider doing some experiments with different tastes; choose fruits that are in season at the same time so that their flavors blend well.
- Here are some that are typical of summer and spring: blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, melon, nectarines, plums, peaches, boysenberries and pluot.
- Blackberries, apples, kiwis, dates, Chinese mandarins, peaches, pomegranates and raspberries are available all season through late summer and fall.
- Try grapefruit, Chinese mandarins, and pomelos during the winter.
- Oranges are found throughout the year.
