Fresh Fruit Ice pops and granitas
Summertime in New Orleans is warm...ok, It's HOT, and humid. My hair grows in volume on most days...I call it my "Personal Hygrometer!" Offsetting the heat, or perhaps as a reward for our persistence, snowball stands dot the city. Other cities may have "snow cones," and I have heard of but not tasted "Hawaiian Shave Ice." New Orleans Snowballs are a different thing all together, and it comes down to the ice. The New Orleans own "Sno-Wizard" is an industrial machine that churns out soft, fluffy ice perfection that cannot be duplicated.
The local newspaper food editor a couple of years ago ranked the top snowball stands in and around the city. IMHO, the local neighborhood establishment tops them all in terms of ice quality, flavor variety, and price! There are older stands with more unusual syrup flavor combinations and "stuffing," but here's an uncompensated, no- strings-attached shout-out to Casey's of Metairie! The vanilla ice cream stuffed Orchid Creme Vanilla snowball is highly recommended!
Snowballs cannot be made at home, related to ice requirements, but ice pops and granitas are easy and delicious. Made with fresh fruit, they are a refreshing dessert that is not terribly bad for you, either!
Traveling with my sisters last week in Texas, we were offered a taste of Honeydew melon agua fresca, a juice made with pureed melon, agave or simple syrup, and mint. It was very sweet, and I commented that I thought it would be delicious frozen on a stick!
Aha!
I did not have ice pop molds at my sister's house...but we did have a watermelon... and herbs...and a blender. So, I pureed the watermelon with the basil and thyme, added a bit of sugar to taste, and froze it in a square glass dish, giving it a good stir every 30 minutes or so. The result was a delicious granita, tasting fresh and vibrant, not too sweet, and with a hint of the herbs to round it out.
This week, I found a perfectly ripe honeydew melon. I have basil and tarragon in my yard, and remembering the agua fresca, I pulled out the paletas molds a niece gave me last Christmas.
Now, you do not need fancy equipment. I found plastic molds at the dollar store. Wooden sticks are sold by the hundreds at craft shops. Paper cups can also be pressed into service. A gallon size zip top bag can be used as well to make granitas: fill the bag half way with your fruit mixture, close it up, and lay it flat in the freezer. Every 30 minutes or so, give the bag a good shake and lay it flat again to freeze some more until it reaches a servable consistency.
Back to the honeydew: I first made simple syrup: equal amounts of water and sugar, simmered until the sugar is completely dissolved. While the syrup cooled, I pureed honeydew in two batches: one with basil, the other with tarragon (about 2 tbsp). I mixed separately 1 & 1/2 cups each type of puree with 1/2 cup syrup, gave it a good stir, checked for taste, filled the mold to within 1/4 inch to allow for expansion, and placed it in the freezer. I left it undisturbed overnight...I think it would take 4 hours to freeze completely.
The pops were delicious! The honeydew flavor shined through in both. The basil combination was delightful, and the tarragon pop had a slight hint of anise that was very complementary.
I encourage you to experiment. There is no limit to the different combinations you can make with seasonal fruit and herbs!
Edited to add:
I recently made strawberry mint pops. Delicious and refreshing!
The local newspaper food editor a couple of years ago ranked the top snowball stands in and around the city. IMHO, the local neighborhood establishment tops them all in terms of ice quality, flavor variety, and price! There are older stands with more unusual syrup flavor combinations and "stuffing," but here's an uncompensated, no- strings-attached shout-out to Casey's of Metairie! The vanilla ice cream stuffed Orchid Creme Vanilla snowball is highly recommended!
Snowballs cannot be made at home, related to ice requirements, but ice pops and granitas are easy and delicious. Made with fresh fruit, they are a refreshing dessert that is not terribly bad for you, either!
Traveling with my sisters last week in Texas, we were offered a taste of Honeydew melon agua fresca, a juice made with pureed melon, agave or simple syrup, and mint. It was very sweet, and I commented that I thought it would be delicious frozen on a stick!
Aha!
I did not have ice pop molds at my sister's house...but we did have a watermelon... and herbs...and a blender. So, I pureed the watermelon with the basil and thyme, added a bit of sugar to taste, and froze it in a square glass dish, giving it a good stir every 30 minutes or so. The result was a delicious granita, tasting fresh and vibrant, not too sweet, and with a hint of the herbs to round it out.
This week, I found a perfectly ripe honeydew melon. I have basil and tarragon in my yard, and remembering the agua fresca, I pulled out the paletas molds a niece gave me last Christmas.
Back to the honeydew: I first made simple syrup: equal amounts of water and sugar, simmered until the sugar is completely dissolved. While the syrup cooled, I pureed honeydew in two batches: one with basil, the other with tarragon (about 2 tbsp). I mixed separately 1 & 1/2 cups each type of puree with 1/2 cup syrup, gave it a good stir, checked for taste, filled the mold to within 1/4 inch to allow for expansion, and placed it in the freezer. I left it undisturbed overnight...I think it would take 4 hours to freeze completely.
The pops were delicious! The honeydew flavor shined through in both. The basil combination was delightful, and the tarragon pop had a slight hint of anise that was very complementary.
I encourage you to experiment. There is no limit to the different combinations you can make with seasonal fruit and herbs!
I recently made strawberry mint pops. Delicious and refreshing!
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