Ginger and Lemon Popsicles

Oh, wow. These are really, really good. I was skeptical about how well the ginger flavor would come through once these lemon popsicles were frozen, but it sings, loud and clear. And it is such a delicious combination with the lemon. You just have to try it! I omitted the optional lemon slices in my popsicles, as my molds are small, and I thought the slices would take up too much room. I grated the ginger with a Microplane, and made sure to get all the juice in the ice pop mixture. I think the extra fine grating and juice will get you maximum ginger flavor, which to me is what makes this lemon popsicle recipe special.

Lovely, simple, and refreshing. The ginger adds a nice zing, and the popsicles aren’t too icy and hard as they can sometimes be. I used the leftover syrup that didn’t fit into my molds to make a nice mixed drink with club soda and vodka. Be sure to leave space at the top of your molds to allow for expansion. (I didn’t and got a few misshapen pops!)

These are addictive! Sweet, spicy, tart, and refreshing, these were a nice treat on a very hot day. I added the very thin lemon slices to the mold and while it made them look pretty, it was a little awkward when you go to that point in the ice pop. A piece of the ice lifted off with the lemon and I was trying to catch the drips and lemon and ice…and it got a little messy. I would leave the lemon slices out next time. The ginger really makes it a more complex and interesting flavor but I suppose you can just make them without it but it would be ordinary…maybe I will try it with some mint next time and add some whole mint leaves in the mold!

A tempting treat to cooling and spicy at the same time. Knobs of ginger can be all sizes, so I used the measurements as a starting point since my ginger piece was more on the long, skinny size. I love ginger beer but my daughter? Not so much. I halved the recipe before I added ginger to mine. I did add a little to hers but not so much that the spiciness would creep up on her. When the mixtures were cool we grabbed her Zoku popsicle maker out of the freezer and we each made our popsicles. Both were wonderful, though I preferred the ginger one. We bottled up the rest of the syrup to use later, but I couldn’t resist so later that night I grabbed the soda stream and made a ginger beer and it was the best one I’ve made to date. (I have tried several other recipes, and this one was the best with the lemon.) I will be making this again and want to experiment with adding some thyme or basil.

These are very refreshing ice pops. A great thing to have in the freezer for a hot day. The ginger adds a sharp spiciness to the tartness of the lemon. I’m a big lemon fan, and think that I’ll increase the amount of lemon juice the next time that I make these. I had actually tasted the mixture before I froze it and felt that it was fine at the time. It wasn’t until after the pops were frozen that I wanted more lemon. Straining the mixture into a Pyrex measuring cup makes it very easy for you to pour the mixture into whatever molds you choose to use. Don’t fret if you don’t have ice pop molds. I don’t. I used my silicone egg poacher “molds” which I put into ceramic ramekins to hold them nicely. I also used some small plastic containers to hold the mixture. After 45 minutes in the freezer, I was able to insert the handle end of plastic utensils as my popsicle sticks. It worked beautifully, and the pops frozen in the egg poachers look like adorable little toadstools, right out of Alice in Wonderland. I tasted the ginger/lemon zest that was in the strainer, after I had pressed it down firmly to extract all of the juices. I actually liked the way it tasted, so I added some of that to a few of the ice pops, and stirred it around. Those pops were also a big hit.