Do you remember that time? Some 25 years ago, when for the younger generation, the most consumed treat in the sweltering summer sun used to be those frozen juice sticks, popularly called Pepsi. Available in orange, cola and lime flavours, for a mere 25 paisa for the small size, 50 paisa for the medium and a rupee for the large size. I remember how we used to run down the store everyday with coins in our hands to buy them and sit in the building compound sucking away at those thin tubes of plastic filled with frozen, coloured sugar water. We even attempted making them at home with Rasna, Thumbs Up and nimbu pani. An excellent activity in those days to keep busy and out of trouble.
These days of course things are different. There are so many healthier ways to enjoy frozen treats. And they are incredibly easy and simple to make at home, your kids will never think of buying them from outside.
If you’ve ever read the labels on many of the popular brands, well they’re downright scary, they have lots of unhealthy dyes and chemicals and its really just supposed to be flavoured ice on a stick.
In a time where frozen yogurts and ice lollies are flooded in the market, you can only show them how the same can be enjoyed at home for a fraction of the cost and made using great
ingredients.
They needn’t be high in calories, or sugar laden or full of fat. You can make frozen fruit juice sticks, fruit juice lollies, yogurt lollies, ice pops and whatever else you can come up with. You’ll need a couple of things handy like ice trays, paper cups, popsicle molds, you could use kulfi molds, ice cream sticks or little plastic bags.
Getting the kids to help make them is a great way to make sure they will happily slurp them—because they made it. Also a fantastic way to get the fruits in the system, as opposed to have a sugary treat.
This is your basic fruit juice turned into frozen treat . Use your favourite fruits and a little honey to sweeten if required.
The author is the writer of AappleMint, a food, travel and photography blog.
Recipe for frozen treats
Ingredients
● Fruit (any kind, pits, stems and skins removed if necessary and washed)
● You can use mangoes, oranges, kiwi, bananas, frozen strawberries, peaches, lychees, black grape, kala jamuns, plums, watermelons, honey melons, limes … anything you fancy
Preparation
● Add your fruit to a blender and process until you have a pourable liquid.
● Pour into popsicle molds or plastic cups. You could at this point add some slices or pieces of the same fruit, to add more texture to it. Place into the freezer for about four hours or until completely frozen. (If you’re using plastic cups don’t forget to go back and insert a popsicle stick 30-40 minutes after you place the popsicles in the freezer)
● Remove from the freezer and enjoy.
● For Mixed fruit lollies, pour in the juice layer by layer, returning to the freezer to chill and set after each layer.
● For yogurt lollies, whisk in low fat yogurt with the fruit puree and pour into molds, with pieces of fruit if desired.