Healthy, Homemade Popsicle

Summertime feels like bliss. But what about those heat waves that come ripping through July and August that feel downright satanic? Not so much. And with no central air, maintaining a civilized nature becomes a challenge worthy of its own reality show.

When the thermostat and humidity index go hand-in-hand over anything above 85 I start to ban anything that requires heat. We live on cold salads. Cold soups. Fruit. Grilled then chilled veggies and meats. And popsicles. Lots and lots of popsicles.

Here’s your recipe for a homemade popsicle that is not only refreshing but loaded with vitamin C and cinnamon to give you a healthy boost. The hibiscus gives it tropical flare. Even better: it’s so easy that the only cooking required is boiling water. That’s right. Frozen, sweet, slurpy, easy-to-make AND healthy—all conveniently attached to a stick.

Red Zinger Spiced Popsicles

What you need:

  • 8 Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger or other hibiscus-flavored tea bags
  • 1/2 cup superfine sugar (do not confuse with plain white sugar. The superfine consistency is more easily dissolved in the hot water).
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup pulp-free orange juice
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
  • Ice pop / popsicle  mold. *

What to do:

zinger popsicle ingredientsPlace the tea bags, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl or quart-sized measuring cup.  Add the hot water, and let steep for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved.

Add the orange juice and lemon juice. Stir to blend well. Pour into ice pop / popsicle molds.

Freeze until solid, about 4-6 hours.

Tips

  • If you have a cheapie mold like I do, cover with plastic wrap and punch the wooden sticks into the holders to keep them upright.
  • Out of wooden sticks? Cut a plastic straw into thirds and stuff that into your mold. Works fine.
  • To unmold your popsicle carefully run under warm water for a few seconds.

*A note on ice pop / popsicle molds.

For popsicle molds, go as fancy or basic as you please. This is not a big investment. I picked mine up at Target for about $6 about 5 years ago. It’s not perfect but it’s worked fine for all my homemade popsicle recipes.  Here are a few that I dug up on Amazon. For the record: ALL of these look nicer than the one I use. Heck, you can even use an ice cube tray with the cut straws for holders to make mini ice pops.

Here’s one that is PBA free. Nice touch.

This is the one most similar to mine. Straight-forward. Understated. Classic.

This one is for those who take their DIY popsicles to the next level. Cue the The Jetsens theme song.

And on the practical side. If you make popsicles you will eventually need more of these:

Attribution: Popsicle recipe is adapted from a 2004 Organic Style Orange Zinger Ice Pop recipe. Organic Style has entered the magazine graveyard and is no longer in circulation.