Frozen juice ice pops recipe – for low-sugar summer treats

Portland, Oregon is not known for its hot, humid weather, unlike the sticky heat we get over here in the Middle East, yet it is home to a new summer treat – the SolPop.

This is one of the healthiest alternatives to ice-cream and sugar-packed Popsicles since it is made mainly from fruit and natural juices. Finally something you can give your children without feeling guilty about sugar content and chemical coloring. Read on for recipes.

The idea of SolPop began in May 2008 when Aaron Harmon, his wife Danielle Koppel and their friend Noah Cable started testing out different flavors and combinations of fruits to see what worked best. They now have almost 40 different flavors including sweet and tart, savory, coconut-based and “wellness pops” to counteract the rainy weather.

Made from different fruit, vegetables and herbs, all of which are organic, these pops take the name SOL meaning Sustainable, Organic and Local. “Sol” is also the Spanish word for sun, referring to the brightness of the Latin-American sun. These SolPops bring some of that brightness to Portland with their great natural flavours.

The principle is a light refreshing summer treat, where there is only a limited amount of sugar added in the form of cane sugar, agave and fruit cider making this dessert essentially fruit on a stick. If you are not in the Portland area, however, you should try making your own healthy fruit Popsicle.

Recipe 1 – Frozen Strawberry Pops
Ingredients:

½ cup sugar
½ cup water
2 strips lemon zest
1 cup orange or apple juice
2 cups strawberries

Method:

1. Put the sugar, water and lemon strips in a saucepan and bring to a boil, waiting until the sugar dissolves
2. Remove the lemon strips and allow the syrup to cool
3. Puree the strawberries
4. Combine the pureed fruit with the syrup and fruit juice
5. Pour this mixture into moulds and put it in the freezer.

Experiment with the fruit: all you have to do it put your choice into a blender and freeze

Recipe 2 – Simple Fruit Popsicles
Ingredients:

450g crushed pineapple undrained
3 firm bananas
450g strawberries

Method:

1. Puree the pineapple, bananas and strawberries
2. Pour into moulds

So here you have a treat you can make for yourself based on anything you have around, from watermelon (which is packed with nutrients), to mint and other herbs which have their own benefits. Play around with the ingredients and find your favorite flavor for summer.

Read more on healthy fruit treats:
4 New Ways to Have Fun with Watermelon
Indulgence Locavore Style: Homemade Strawberry Jam