To welcome summertime visits from grandchildren, I like to put together a batch of popsicles, ‘cause everyone knows that freezies are a sure-fire winner. There are millions of popsicle ideas on the internet, and here comes another one.

Commercial popsicles (which have the added convenience of stabilizers – got any locust bean gum in your pantry?) are fast-frozen.  That’s why they have that nice, frosty, small-crystal consistency.  Commercial freezies in plastic tubes, you may have noticed, are somewhat more “icy”, because they freeze more slowly in your home freezer, and some of their water freezes as ice crystals independent of the flavoring and sugar.  I have looked at those popsicle-makers you store in your freezer so you can freeze a small batch in 10 minutes – nifty, but a bit pricey, and they take up quite a bit of space for a somewhat seasonal mono-tasker.

Here’s a compromise that’s easy to make, has a nice texture, and is infinitely variable.

Popsicles (Fruit Freezies)

And here comes the lesson…

The fruit puree in this recipe traps water and prevents it from freezing independently as much as it would if you only used juice.  Canned pears have a  pleasant texture when pureed, and a pretty neutral flavor, so you can doll them up any way you want.  Except chocolate.  So far.  I’m working on that.

If you leave the sweetener out, your pops will have a harder texture, more like an ice cube than a popsicle. The sweetener you choose could be honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, corn syrup – NOT sugar substitute, please.  Research seems to indicate that a liquid sugar (that would be the corn syrup) will do a better job at encouraging smaller ice crystals.  It’s a chemistry thing.

If you find you bought pears canned in syrup by accident, you should pour most of the syrup off and use only a couple of tablespoons as the sweetener.  If the blender “slush” seems too thick, add some fruit juice.

If you are using fruit juice concentrate as the flavoring agent, its inherent sugar content will likely be sufficient, both for flavor and consistency.

TASTE your pureed mixture before you freeze it, remembering that all flavors will be less intense when really cold.  A teaspoon of vanilla can add the impression of sweetness without adding more sugar to a tart mixture; a shot of lemon juice can brighten up a mixture (like blueberries) that seems too  sweet or bland.

As for the added dairy ingredient, you could use coconut, soy, almond or rice milk, or no milky stuff at all.   Dairy gives a nice mouth feel and a nutritional bonus.  Coconut or almond might be a nice compliment to your chosen fruit flavor, almond with peach, for example, or coconut with pineapple.  The acidity of yogurt works well with most fruit flavors.  It’s not a necessity by any means – leave it out if it’s a problem or no one likes it.