Any experts on Popsicles?

[rush]

I'm gonna start making my own popsicles.

That said, I was wondering if there were any suggestions on chunky popsicles.

For example, let's say I'm making something like a mango paleta. I'll probably blend the mango with water, add some sugar, etc. Simple enough.

But what if I wanted to dice up mangos on the side and add it to the popsicle? Do I just mix the mango chunks with the blended mango and pour it into the popsicle molds?

I'm wondering how the mango chunks will stack up in the popsicle mold. For example, will they all float up to the top? Will they all sink to the bottom?

Thanks!

PS: Anybody know a banana popsicle recipe that doesn't have to be milky? While I enjoy banana paletas that call for milk in the ingredient, I also wouldn't mind licking on a banana popsicle that's more refreshing.

 

[DaveSoMD]

I would suggest you let them partially freeze in the molds and then mix in the fruit, that way it has a better chance of not sinking. Just be sure it is well chilled.

 

[Selkie]

Coat them in sugar before adding them to a nearly frozen flavor mix. It's the same principle as flouring fruit before adding it to a cake batter to keep from sinking.

 

[TATTRAT]

If you make sure that the base(sorbet like) is densely packed with the fruit chinks, things should set up just fine. How "chunky" are you talkin' here?

You could always macerate/marinate the fruit chunks IN the actual base you will be using, it may help stabilize things too.

 

[Saphellae]

(wow Tattrat, I have NOT seen you in a Longgggg time!)

Popsicles sound like a great idea to make for the summer.. thanks for the reminder!

 

[TATTRAT]

(wow Tattrat, I have NOT seen you in a Longgggg time!)

Popsicles sound like a great idea to make for the summer.. thanks for the reminder!

Yeah, been on a bit of a hiatus. . . for a real long time, lol.

After a bit more thought, and good sorbet recipe would work, and folding in the fruit near the end/closer to forming the Popsicle, would hold up.

Champagne and strawberry, you wanna talk about a refreshing popsicle, lemme tell ya. . . super easy, elegant, and tasty.

 

[rush]

Thanks guys, for all your input.

I made mango popsicles that night. I first pureed mango chunks, and then I also had some chopped mango left over to embed into the popsicle.

When I started inserting the mango chunks into the popsicle mold, I realized the mold is very narrow, so the chunks held up pretty well. They didn't move around, because they basically got wedged in the narrow space of my choosing...

Also, the puree was super thick. I added some water to it, and it was still really thick, so nothing was gonna be moving around with that viscosity.

Overall, the popsicle turned out okay... the recipe I used was...

2 mangos
2 tbsp sugar
1 lime squeezed
1/2 cup water

It was a bit bland for my standards. The tangy/tart lime effect was extremely mild and almost unnoticeable. The mango taste was also very mild. I should've tossed in another tbsp of sugar or two. Also should've squeezed another lime, and no water.

Next time, I think I'm gonna make a pear/grape concoction. Probably puree pear and embed some pear chunks and grapes. I don't know how it'll turn out, though...

 

[joesfolk]

Those sound really yummy. Back in my salad days when my kids were small I was always disappointed in my popsicles because the kids always sucked out the juice and were left with an ice cube on the end of a stick. But I learned that if I added some gelatin to the mix it solved that problem. I wonder if that would help to keep small fruit chunks well distributed in the mix.

 

[rush]

Those sound really yummy. Back in my salad days when my kids were small I was always disappointed in my popsicles because the kids always sucked out the juice and were left with an ice cube on the end of a stick. But I learned that if I added some gelatin to the mix it solved that problem. I wonder if that would help to keep small fruit chunks well distributed in the mix.

Like I said, the popsicle molds are pretty narrow. Unless your fruit chunks are tiny, they're gonna get wedged in the space of your choosing.

Also, unless you use fruit juice or some watery concoction, the fruit chunks won't move. Trust me, I had your same concerns, but now I've learned.

As for the juice getting sucked out of the popsicle, you won't have this problem if you puree real fruit, because it's difficult to separate the sweet pulp from the natural water extracted from fruits. Of course, if you add water to the recipe, there's a higher chance of the kids sucking the fruit out of the water, but in general, it's not easy to do.

Personally, my biggest criticism about homemade popsicles, is the texture. I prefer the smoother, Super Pop-esque texture. I don't really care for the icicly texture of fruit juice bars...

I recently made a banana paleta. The recipe was...

- 2 bananas
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp dark rum or bourbon
- pinch of nutmeg

I tried it, and it was just way too sweet and alcoholic. At most, 1 tbsp of alcohol is enough for 2 bananas, unless the alcohol is the star of the show.

Also, I think the sugar is probably unnecessary if you're using overripe (speckled on the outside, powdery on the inside) bananas - which I did...

If you're using bananas that are simply ripe, maybe 1 tbsp on sugar at most.

The discouraging part of all this is how all the recipes are gonna be subjective, so something that's gonna be just right for the person making the recipe, might be too sweet for someone else. Not to mention all the other variables (size of banana, ripeness, etc). And even if you taste the puree, it's hard to estimate how it's gonna balance out when it freezes. A lot of trial and error involved...

 

[buckytom]

have you ever had a frozfruit bar? they:re the perfect mix of chunky frozen fruit and an icepop, imo.

just like a smoothie, start with frozen fruit ( chunked down to size before freezing), then add a cold, thick juice, something like a canned nectar for the ice part. it should be about 50/50.

since there's a lot of water in juice, you can reduce it to a nectar consistency, adding sugar and any other flavours like citrus or even flowers (flor de jamaica, for instance) while it cooks down.

chill the nectar/reduced juice, mix in frozen frozen fruit, then pour/stuff in moulds.

hth.