WASHINGTON — If you’re looking for a refreshing treat that will help you cool off during these hot and steamy summer days, forget the ice cream aisle and head to the produce section instead.
A few pieces of fruit, a quick purée and a couple of hours in the freezer is all it takes to make a healthy and satisfying summer treat.
Not sure where to start? Brian Sykora, co-founder of D.C.’s Pleasant Pops, has some advice. He and his business partner Roger Horowitz started making frozen pops in 2010. Unlike conventional Popsicles, however, theirs are technically paletas — a Mexican-style pop made from fresh fruit.
Making Frozen Pops
Sykora’s best piece of advice is to seek out what’s in season. He and Horowitz get inspiration for their pop flavors just from perusing the farmers market.
“When we see watermelon and mint coming out at the same time in the season, we say, ‘Well, that might taste good together.'”
And this time of year, peaches and nectarines are at their prime.
In fact, they’re so ripe it doesn’t take much to turn them into a tasty treat. Sykora suggests puréeing peaches with just a touch of sugar, (“Most fruit already has a lot of great natural sugar,” he says) pouring the mixture into molds and popping them in the freezer. After a few hours pass, they’ll be ready to eat.
If you want to insert another dimension of flavor into your frozen fruit pops, herbs are always an easy addition. Take, for example, pineapple and basil: a pop combination Sykora came up with a few years ago after eating a slice of pizza that had the ingredients as toppings.
“We like to take inspiration from not only the market, but what we’re finding in other foods as well,” he says.
Pleasant Pops also makes a rosemary grapefruit and a strawberry ginger pop.
When it comes to making frozen pops, stick to using fresh fruit. Sykora says it works best because of all the natural pulp.
“The more pulp you can keep, the better texture you’ll have when you actually go to freeze it. Stone fruit is great because it has a lot of natural pulp, making it really simple to create a pop.”
Some of Pleasant Pops’ creations include dairy that comes from a farm in Pennsylvania — the cookies and cream pop and the sweet cream and cinnamon pop are a few examples. You can always add Greek yogurt for a healthy twist, and Sykora says coconut milk works well as a dairy-free alternative.
Ready to try your hand at making some frozen goodies this month? Check out the related gallery for recipes and ideas for refreshing fruit-based summer desserts.
