Remember summer days of sunshine, running through sprinklers, and mouth stained red from Cherry popsicles?
Like so many food items that are ubiquitous, the lowly Popsicle is making a comeback as a specialty treat. Vendors are making and serving frozen treats in both plastic tubes and on sticks. The new iterations include more sophisticated flavors and unusual combinations. And where you used to be able to buy a box for $2.00, that is now the price for each popsicle.
Kate Rockwood from Fast Company magazine recently put together a round up of gourmet popsicle shops around the country. (The pistachio pop sounds delightful!)
At a recent farmer’s market in Boulder I tried several different gourmet popsicle flavors—all were fresh and clean tasting. Horchata was frozen rice milk mixed with cinnamon and almond. Mojito was made with finely chopped fresh mint. And Cherry, unlike the old version, tasted like a freshly pitted cherry frozen onto the stick. It was 90 degrees that summer day, and there were no sprinklers in sight, but my ice pop tasted even better than it had years ago.
I always look forward to seasonal drinks and the promotion surrounding them; blame it on nostalgia or marketing. Spring and summer always make me think of freshly squeezed lemonade or setting out a big jar with various kinds of tea to steep in the summer sun (