Slow Melt Popsicles

Have you seen or tried slow melt popsicles? I hadn’t until a few weeks ago when a friend of mine had them in her freezer and whipped them out for the kids after dinner. I was skeptical but G, who at two years old is still mastering the art of eating frozen desserts, was able to eat his popsicle without a single drop or stain on his shirt. I was sold. My culinary curiosity also kicked in and I started wondering what sort of additive was in slow melt popsicles to combat excessive melting. Turns out it is gelatin, but the manufacturer also adds what they call “ice structuring particles” which sound a bit strange to me. So I wondered…could I make homemade slow melt popsicles using plain gelatin? The boys and I simply added 1 packet of plain gelatin to a popsicle recipe we developed and it worked like a charm. However, this recipe comes with a disclaimer: the popsicles tasted delicious, but they have a definitely different consistency. The slight Jell-o-like consistency of the popsicles didn’t stop the boys (or me!) from gobbling them up, but to be fair, they aren’t as firm as regular popsicles. But sure enough, these popsicles didn’t melt nearly as fast as regular popsicles, which meant that G’s shirt stayed clean and I had one less thing to spot treat and launder at the end of the day. Perhaps I should call these popsicles “Less Mess Popsicles.” Slow Melt/Less Mess Popsicles 1 cup of fruit (we used a combination of berries and melon, but peaches, mango, pineapple, banana would all work well) 1 cup of 100% Juice juice 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar (optional) 1 package of plain gelatin Puree the fruit in a blender until smooth. Mix the brown sugar and juice together, stir and microwave for 2-3 minutes or until hot, almost boiling. Add the gelatin to the juice mixture, stirring well to allow it to dissolve. Add the juice mixture to the mixed fruit, puree to incorporate and pour into popsicle molds. Freeze 6-8 hours or overnight. Notice—no drips on G! SPC