Buzz
Everyone seems to be raving about Outshine Fruit Bars, those mysteriously smooth popsicles packed with whole fruit pieces. Personally, I'm especially fond of the lemon and lime flavors, which taste just like a refreshing lemonade on a stick.
I do get a bit frustrated, though, when I come across a processed food that I can’t recreate better at home. Previous attempts to replicate these popsicles have been a letdown. The problem with popsicles is that you end up with an ice block that you have to suck on to get the juice out. It's fun when you're a kid, but it loses its charm as an adult. So, how do the folks at Outshine manage to do it?
The secret is gum. More specifically, natural stabilizers like guar gum, agar, or gelatin. Before you criticize me for suggesting “additives,” remember that each one is a natural food derivative. Take guar gum, for example—it's simply made from beans. I ordered some bean powder online and began researching, all in the quest for a better popsicle, and I’m excited to share my discoveries. Here are three tips to create a fruit pop with a rich, satisfying flavor and texture.
Begin your popsicles with chilled ingredients
The most successful fruit pops I made used frozen fruit, but when preparing lemonade, you need to dissolve sugar in lemon juice. I tried adding the warm syrup straight into the mold, thinking it would freeze properly, but it didn't. The syrup cooled unevenly, causing the popsicle to crack. On the other hand, the popsicles I made with blended frozen fruit turned out amazing and froze quickly.
This makes sense when you consider large-scale production. Commercial operations utilize ultra-fast chilling systems to rapidly lower the temperature, something your home freezer can’t replicate. There's also a bonus effect from agitation when using guar gum, and though I don’t have concrete scientific evidence, I think the blender played a role in helping. If you're making a pop with a heated base, like lemon or limeade, freeze it first, then blend it to create a slush.
Guar Gum to the Rescue
Guar gum—derived from beans—is a popular thickener and stabilizer in many foods. It works exceptionally well at its job and is more effective than other thickening agents (like cornstarch and others). Plus, it’s naturally gluten-free, which is great because there’s no need for gluten in a popsicle.
Because of its potency, you don’t need much—just ¼ tablespoon of guar gum for every four cups of fruit. Simply sprinkle it in, then blend it well, which ensures the guar gum dissolves and prevents clumping.
Mix fruit puree and chunks for a more delightful pop
During my research for making these fruit pops, I came across a lot of discussions about using “fruit pulp,” which made perfect sense. The texture of whole fruit pieces was a big part of what I enjoyed in my pops. To recreate this at home, blend most of the fruit with sugar to form a puree. Add the guar gum, then toss in the whole fruit and pulse the blender enough to break it into pieces, but not turn it into a puree. Now you’ve got fruit pulp.
Tips for making your fruit pops look professional
Silicone popsicle molds are key to making this process smoother. They allow for easy removal of pops one by one, and keep the popsicle stick firmly in place. I’m not fond of popsicle molds with their own plastic stick bases because I’m always bound to lose one, and they make it difficult to store the molds. I wanted to make a bunch of fruit pops and stash them in the freezer until I was ready to enjoy them.
Everything you need to make perfect popsicles:
Guar gum (obviously): Judee’s Guar Gum Powder
Silicone molds, for beautifully shaped pops: Silicone Popsicles Molds
Cello bags, for easy storage: Popsicle Bags
Sticks (essential for holding them): Natural Wood Popsicle Sticks
A blender, to create that smooth pulp: Hamilton Beach Power Elite Wave Action Blender
Once your pops are ready, and they only need a quick six-hour freeze, remove them from the molds and place them in cello bags designed specifically for popsicles. They can stay in the freezer until you’re ready, just like the ones you buy in stores.
Perfect Strawberry Fruit Pops (makes six servings)
Ingredients:
16 ounces of frozen strawberries
1 cup of granulated sugar
¼ tablespoon of guar gum
Place 12 ounces of the strawberries in your blender with the sugar, and blend until smooth. Sprinkle the guar gum into the puree and blend for 20 seconds. Add the remaining berries, then pulse the blender five or six times for one second each to break them into pieces, but not to puree them.
Quickly pour the mixture into your silicone mold and freeze. To ensure the mixture freezes properly, make sure it’s as cold as possible when it goes into the freezer, so have your mold ready right after blending.
After six hours, remove the pops from the mold and enjoy, or transfer them to cello bags for storage in the freezer.
