Picture this:
It’s a hot summer’s day. The sound of squealing children trickles in through the open windows as they run through the sprinkler in the back yard, sprays of water glistening in the sunshine in slo-mo… The family dog is sopping wet and shakes himself off, spraying a group of adults lounging in the shade. They laugh as they shield their drinks from wet dog water and move out of the way. Mom comes out the back porch, the screen door slapping behind her, bearing a tray of popsicles for the kids, cold beers for the adults, and bowls of delicious homemade munchies for everyone. The BBQ is lit up and everyone’s in their relaxed, happy zone.
This is the stuff commercials are made from. And 4th of July parties.
When I first made these popsicles, I had a 5-week old baby in the house, and this was NOT my life. Now, with a global pandemic and massive long-overdue social upheaval in our midst, 4th of July feels distinctly different. As a dual citizen born and raised in Canada, I’ll admit my heart is with Canada Day on July 1st anyhow…
BUT: sometimes you just need a good popsicle and an excuse to make them. And so, four years ago on this day, amidst piles of laundry and endless diaper-changes, we whipped up what Chef James calls “Patriot Pops” and what I call “The Lazyman’s Easiest Popsicles Ever” because they are sooooo simple, so yummy, and so pretty. Conveniently, they also have electrolytes from the coconut water so you’re truly getting rehydrated, not just sweetened and freshened up. Bonus!!
So however and whatever you’re celebrating this year, we’ve got you covered.
What you’ll need
Popsicle molds of some sort. We just grabbed these from Ikea. Amazon has a bunch of cool ones.
Blueberries, washed and left whole (for my Canadian friends, omit the blueberries and these are perfect for Canada Day!)
Strawberries (sliced), raspberries (left whole) or another red berry (you could do cherries but that would require pitting them, and more work than I think is warranted)
Fresh mint leaves (optional – tastes nice. We used some chocolate mint we got from our CSA. Super yum)
Coconut water
How to make them
Evenly distribute the fruit into each popsicle mold.
Add 1-2 mint leaves per popsicle mold.
Pour coconut water into each mold leaving a 1/4″ of room at the top. Insert the popsicle sticks and place the tray your freezer for 4-6 hours or overnight.
It’s THAT easy. Enjoy! And Happy Celebrating!
