Can it be summer already? I know technically we have a couple of weeks to go…but I’m ready. I want to wear flip flops, and barbeque, and go swimming in the ocean and have tangly beach hair that looks effortlessly amazing (this last part is a total fantasy).
So let’s jump the gun a little and make some popsicles. No sunscreen required. Just a little patience while you wait for them to chill. And here’s what’s great about making popsicles: they’re EASY. Not like ice cream, which is fussy and laborious. (And like my friend Allie says “When Ben & Jerry’s does it so well, why make your own?”). Ice cream you can find in all sorts of interesting, bespoke combinations, but popsicles? Unless you want yours crammed full of artificial dye and a week’s worth of sugar, you’ll need to make your own.
Plus, with all the amazing summer fruit starting to come into season, popsicles are a fun way to use all that delicious produce; if, for example, you keep buying whole watermelons and carrying them home like Baby in Dirty Dancing. Which is EXACTLY what I have done three time already in the last two weeks. That’s a lot of watermelon. Hence, time for popsicles.
I would call these more of a grown up kind of popsicle. Not too sweet, with a little salt and lime in addition to the mint. But since everything gets pureed in the blender (and you can’t see pieces of green leaves) my 5 year old gobbles them up, too. You can turn these popsicles into “raw food” by swapping the sugar for honey. Or go in the other direction and add a little vodka to the mix. Whichever way you swing.
ingredients:
- 4 c. watermelon, cubed
- 1 tbl. lime juice
- 2 tbl. mint leaves, minced
- 1 tbl. sugar
- pinch of kosher salt
If there are seeds in your watermelon, try to pick them out, but don’t sweat it if you miss a few. Puree all ingredients in a blender and pour through a sieve to strain.
Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze 1 hour, then cover top with aluminum foil and insert popsicle sticks. Freeze for a few more hours until fully set.
