Summer on a Stick

How to make gourmet frozen pops using seasonal fruit and herbs

Gourmet ice pops made from fresh, seasonal fruit and herb combinations

We’d bet money you’ve spent at least one hot summer day sitting on your front stoop licking that corner store favourite, the classic Popsicle. You peeled back the white paper wrapper and proceeded to get sticky hands from melted Popsicle juice.

Nathalie, one of the brains behind the New York-based People’s Pops, fondly remembers that childhood treat and wanted to offer a bite of nostalgia to Brooklynites, but with a twist:  their pops are a vehicle for fresh, delicious seasonal fruits and herbs, on a stick.

Nathalie joined forces with her high school prom date and his roommate,  and the three got to work making batches of frozen pops to be sold at a local market. The results showcased gourmet combinations like Strawberries and Cream,  Blue Velvet (blueberries, yogurt and honey) and Rhubarbalicious. Their products sold out out fast, and eventually the friends quit their jobs and opened a little shop.

The People’s Pops gang: Dave, Joel and Nathalie!

Three years and a cease-and-desist letter from Popsicle later, the People’s Pops crew are still at it and getting tons of press for their locally-made creations. They continue to invent recipes that almost always work (except for Strawberry-Mint, which unfortunately “tasted like Robitussin”).  Unsupringingly, the sweet pops are a big hit with kids – just so long as you don’t tell them what’s in them. When kids find out a pop contains blueberries and cardamom, they usually react with,  “Ew, that sounds weird,” says Nathalie.  Most kids go for plainer flavours like Strawberry-Rhubarb, Plum, Tart Cherry or straight-up Raspberry. Says Nathalie, “It’s not a challenging set of flavours. Save for maybe the stronger flavours containing hyssop, which has a licorice-y taste. People either love or hate licorice. But for the most part, the flavour combinations are harmonious.”

If boarding a bus to Brooklyn to buy one of these luscious pops isn’t an option right now, Nathalie has shared a recipe so you can create the People’s Pops experience at home. Her advice is to always, always use seasonal fruit for the best-tasting homemade pops.

People’s Pops Peach, Chamomile & Honey Pop

We came up with this pop last July as we were strolling through our local farmers market (the Union Square Greenmarket in NYC).  It is truly a distillation of the season: summer on a stick!

Ingredients
4 tree-ripened yellow peaches
2 white peaches (slightly soft)
1 bouquet fresh chamomile flowers
¼ c. fresh honey
juice of ½ small lemon
pinch Kosher salt

Rinse, halve, and pit two-thirds of peaches, and puree (skin and all) until the mixture is almost smooth.

Stir honey, lemon juice, salt, and three finely minced chamomile flowers into the pureed peaches. Coarsely chop remaining one-third of peaches and combine with puree. Add honey to taste. (Note: Make pops a tad sweeter than you think. They lose a little sweetness after freezing.)

Pour into three-ounce Dixie cups or popsicle molds, add wooden popsicle sticks, and freeze. You’ll get ten delicious popsicles.

Our roundup of the best frozen pop moulds

Monster mould, $9.95. Silicone ice pop mould, $11.95. Rocket pop mold, $19.25. Volcanic pop mould, $9.95. Shooting star mould, $13.30. Yellow groovy pop mould, $11.69.

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