RECIPE: Blueberry Ice Pops For National Blueberry Popsicle Day
[1] Puréed blueberries, perked up with a bit of lemon juice (photo © Will Cook For Smiles).
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September 2nd is National Blueberry Popsicle Day, following close on the heels of National Cherry Popsicle Day, August 24th.
Here’s the history of Popsicles (a happy accident!). But the name of the holidays needs to be changed. The Popsicle® brand doesn’t make blueberry Popsicles (here are the current flavors), for starters. Regardless of the flavor, only Unilever can call its ice pops Popsicles. Well sure, you can call it Popsicle for your own private use; but try to give brands the respect they deserve. Call them ice pops instead of Popsicles®, a slow cooker instead of Crock-Pot®, a food processor instead of Cuisinart®, tissues instead of Kleenex® and lip balm instead of Chapstick® (and on and on). Anyone can make or sell blueberry ice pops. And making them couldn’t be easier. Ingredients First, chose what kind of blueberry you’ll use: blueberry juice, fresh or frozen blueberries. See the conversion table below. Next, choose your sweetener. These are pretty low caloric pops if you use non-caloric sweetener or agave (you need only half the amount of agave, as it’s twice as sweet). |
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Preparation 1. BRING bring the sugar (or other sweetener) and the water to a boil in a small sauce pan over high, stirring until the sugar (or other sweetener) dissolves. Transfer to a large measuring cup or other container and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until cool. If using blueberry juice, it may be sweet enough to avoid this step. Taste and decide. 2. COMBINE the blueberry juice or puréed blueberries with the lemon or lime juice. Add the sweetener/water mix to taste. (The juice may need far less sweetening than the fresh or frozen berries.) 3. STIR thoroughly and pour into ice pop molds. Freeze for 4-6 hours, with the mold tops on. If you’re not using ice pop molds with built-in handles, insert a stick into each mold after 1 or 2 hours when it can stand up straight. 4. RUN the molds under warm water to release the pops for serving. These measurements are from CooksInfo.com. Volume equivalents will vary based on size of the berries. Depending on how many pops you’re making and how many ounces are in each mold, determine how much fruit you need: |
RECIPE #2: YOGURT & BLUEBERRY POPS 1. PURÉE the blueberries and sweetener together (see footnote below). 2. POUR into a large bowl, add the yogurt mix gently: For a swirled effect, use a spatula to make swirls in the bowl. You can also add the yogurt first, then the blueberries, to get a half-and-half effect in photo #2, above. Otherwise, combine thoroughly for a lighter purple pop. 3. TASTE and adjust sweetener if desired, then pour into the molds or cups. Freeze for 4-6 hours, with the mold tops on. If you’re not using ice pop molds with built-in handles, insert a stick into each mold after 1 or 2 hours when it can stand up straight. 4. RUN the molds under warm water to remove the pops. |
[3] Don’t have ice pop molds? Use paper cups and sticks or plastic spoons. But ice pop molds are inexpensive. If you enjoy making pops, treat yourself to a set (photo © Recipe Hub). |
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