Strawberry Pineapple Popsicles

As a kid, I loved, loved, loved popsicles, Otter Pops, and any other frozen treats I could get my little hands on. But my hands down favorite was the cherry-pineapple Big Stick. Often, my younger brother and I would fight over who got to eat the last one in the box. It was a big ordeal that frequently involved crying, pouting, and hysteria. I have no idea why we would react that way to popsicles. Looking back, I can’t help but laugh at such situations.

My dad would get frustrated hearing my brother and I quarrel over the popsicles. He didn’t get it…until we started to like his favorite ice cream Bon Bons (no longer available in stores, but replaced by similar product- Dreyer’s Dibs.) Once that happened, he’d stock the freezer in the garage with extra boxes of Big Sticks to hinder us from his ice cream.

I still don’t understand why I was so drawn to that cherry-pineapple popsicle that didn’t even taste like cherry or pineapple. It was just sweet with vibrant, happy colors.

Here is my grown-up version of my favorite popsicle. Instead of cherry-pineapple, this is a strawberry pineapple popsicle! Not only does it tastes better than the original, it has a lot less sugar!

Homemade popsicles or frozen pops are a great way to use up extra fruits you have in the kitchen. Whenever I see a good deal on produce, I always buy it. Even if I don’t need it, I have a tendency to believe that I will find a use for it. Like in this case, I bought a 4-pound container of strawberries. After eating it with my oatmeal/cereal/yogurt, I’ve just about had enough of the fruit. Rather than freeze it before it goes bad, I whipped it into a popsicle.

This is also a nice way to use up fruits that are no longer in their greatest, prime condition. So what if your strawberries are a little bruises or your pineapple was butchered as it was being cut, it doesn’t matter because it’ll all end up pureed.

1. Puree the pineapple and strawberry separately and transfer to liquid measuring cups with a spout. The spout makes it a lot easier to pour the purees. Have your popsicle mold and wooden sticks ready.
2. Pour the strawberry puree first. Fill the mold about halfway. Then slowly add the pineapple puree.
3. Because the pineapple puree is more dense than the strawberry, it will displace some of the strawberry puree creating that desired swirl/marble effect.
4. Place a layer of foil over the popsicle mold, followed by the popsicle mold cover. Insert wooden sticks into the mold and then remove the popsicle mold cover, leaving only the foil. In my experience, I have had difficult removing the plastic mold cover once frozen, so I prefer to use foil to hold up the wooden sticks. Place filled mold in the freezer for at least 3 hours until the popsicles are solid.

Let’s get into the summer spirit a little early! If you don’t have popsicle molds, there are also sorts of alternatives. You can use other freezable containers… paper cups, ice cube trays, or recycle yogurt containers!

What was your favorite frozen treat as a child?! Let me know and I’ll try to recreate it!

Ingredients

• 2 cups pineapple chunks
• 1/3 c 1/2 c pineapple juice
• 3 cups strawberries,hulled and sliced
• 3 Tbsp simple syrup
• Simple Syrup:**
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

1. In a blender, or food processor, puree pineapple chunks with 1/3 cup of pineapple juice. Taste and sweeten with 1 Tbsp simple syrup, if necessary. Transfer pineapple puree into a liquid measuring cup with a spout and set aside.
2. Wash and clean out blender. Puree strawberries with remaining 1/2 cup pineapple juice. Taste and sweetened with 2 Tbsp simple syrup, if necessary. Transfer strawberry puree into another liquid measuring cup with spout.
3. Pour strawberry puree into molds, filling mold half way. Next, slowly pour pineapple puree into mold. Since the pineapple puree is more dense than the strawberry, it will cause that swirling/marble effect.
4. Place a layer of foil over the popsicle molds, followed by the popsicle mold cover. Insert wooden sticks into the mold and then remove popsicle mold cover, leaving only the foil. In my experience, I have had difficultly removing the plastic mold cover, so I prefer to use foil. Place mold in freezer for at least 3 hours until the popsicles are solid.
5. To remove popsicles from mold, submerge mold into room temperature water for 60-90 seconds. Remove from water and pull popsicles out. Enjoy immediately! Simple Syrup:
6. In a small sauce pot, combine water and sugar. Bring to a boil until sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. Store in fridge until ready to use.

Notes

**I like to use simple syrup instead of plain granulated sugar because it helps to ensure smooth popsicles.

The popsicle mold I used can be found here.

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