Summer Treats for Kids
During the hot summer months, few things are more welcome than cooling down with a frozen ice pop! But you don't have to wait for the ice cream man, nor the next visit to the supermarket, there is a whole lotta fun to be had by creating your very own ice pops. The ingredients can be very simple and you might even have them to hand!
The key to a classic ice pop is sugar (see below for non-sugar alternatives if you prefer). It freezes faster than fruit juice alone and so you can have your treat a whole lot sooner! With sugar, your ice pop treat holds its mold while being just unfrozen enough to eat comfortably.
Choose Your Fruit
What are the kids' favourite flavours? Peaches, plums, berries... purée any of these (or try mixing them together!) for a wonderfully fresh flavour.
Step 1: Make Syrup
Combine equal parts sugar and water and bring to the boil.
Step 2: Make the mixture
Combine the syrup with your puréed fruit of choice. It will taste very sweet at this point, but that's okay because the sweetness will be muted when frozen.
Step 3: Things are taking shape!
Now put the mixture into your ice pop molds. Add a lollipop stick. Be sure the mold is deep enough so the stick remains upright.
Step 4: Freeze the mixture
Now the mixture is in molds with lollipop sticks, place it in the freezer. Now you play the waiting game! Soon the mixture will be transformed into tasty ice pops. Be patient, you have to wait until the mixture is solid so it will leave the mold cleanly.
Step 5: Enjoy!
When the ice pops are solid, remove them from the mold and enjoy!
Make It Fun!Get the children involved in the creative process by letting them choose their own mold. Cups and yoghurt containers all make great molds. You could also let them choose their own fruit flavour. Another fun twist is to add an ice cream layer in the bottom of the mold before placing the mixture there.
Non-Sugar Alternatives
You can make non-sugar ice pops the same way, only without the syrup and no optional ice cream! The fruit alone will take a little longer to freeze and also require experimentation to find the right amount of freezing without being too solid. For further information, you will find some of the recipes on Natural Family Today contain no sugar.
Have you enjoyed creating your own ice pops? Why not take photos and we will feature them in future social media updates! Email us photos of your funtabulous ice pop designs.
