Before I post my entire review of the new book, Ice Pop Joy
Pure Sunshine Ice Pop
There are all sorts of delectable looking ice pop flavors in Ice Pop Joy, such as lavender flower power, watermelon pops and even a creamy looking granola ice pop. I didn’t make one of the fancy pop recipes yet though. I decided on the fly to make some pops. Because I didn’t want to go to the store, I picked a recipe called Pure Sunshine (shown above) because I had all the ingredients on hand.
Ingredients for Pure Sunshine Ice Pops:
Ingredients for Pure Sunshine Ice Pops
- 2 cups chopped strawberries
- 4-5 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup purified water
- 1 cup ice
INGREDIENT CHANGES I MADE:
- I used all organic ingredients, which I suggest you do as well.
- I only had 1 3/4 cups of organic strawberries, so I substituted some organic frozen raspberries to make up the difference.
- I didn’t have fresh mint. I did have some dried organic mint. I wrestled with adding it or not – worried that it might not blend down right. I ended up using it and it blended down fine, but really fresh is always better when it comes to herbs in ice pops. Also, remember, if you use dried herbs, use less, as dried herbs pack more of a flavor punch than fresh.
- I used tap water, not purified.
Blend your ice pop mixture until smooth
To make your Pure Sunshine ice pops:
- Put all your ingredients into a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour mixture into reusable non-toxic popsicle molds.
- Freeze.
- Eat and enjoy.
This recipe made 6 large pops + a few tiny pops
I was able to fill 6 full sized ice pop molds with this recipe. Plus, for fun I made some smaller snack sized pops – for when a big pop is too much. I used our Fred Cool Jazz Ice Cube Tray
Ice pops made in Fred Cool Jazz Ice Cube Tray
Taste test:
What I thought: I thought the texture was excellent. Sometimes fruit-based ice pops can turn out a bit hard, but these were easy to bite into, yet still held together and didn’t melt all over the place. I thought they tasted good too, although they were a little too sweet for my taste. I think, had I made them with zero raspberries, that they would have been the right amount of sweet though. Raspberries really add kick. I also should have added more lemon juice. I didn’t measure, just guessed. I could tell that more lemon juice would have equaled really good taste.
What Dave thought: Boyfriend Dave says, “They smelled just like raspberry candles, but in a good way, like candles you’d want to eat.” He also said that if you don’t like raspberry seeds in your ice pop, skip these, but he didn’t mind them. Flavor wise Dave says, “These taste really good like raspberries and somewhat like strawberries. The raspberries overpowered the strawberries. This pop wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet though. It was refreshing and something I’d for sure eat on a hot summer day.” Dave, like me, also liked the texture.
Cedar loved the taste!
What Cedar thought: Cedar’s exact words were, “These popsicles are AWESOME!” He said that about four times. Then said he loved the raspberry taste and that the texture was a little hard at first, but, “Perfect once you get half-way thought the pop.”
If you’re looking for an excellent summer strawberry pop, then Pure Sunshine fits the bill. However, I’d make sure you have enough strawberries around. I only used 1/4 cup of raspberries and they took over the entire pop mixture. Of course, like I always say, one of the best things about ice pops is that they’re hard to mess up. Experimenting with new ice pop flavors is okay.
I hope you and your family like this sneak peak ice pop recipe. Coming up soon, a review of the entire book Ice Pop Joy.
+ Read the Ice Pop Joy review.
[All images ©Jennifer Chait]
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