By Jeannette Ordas of Everybody likes Sandwiches

When we were little, my mom rarely bought commercially available popsicles. Instead we made our own out of orange juice, chocolate pudding or iced tea. It was a quick and refreshing treat that was so cooling during the hot and humid summer months. When I moved out, I pretty much forgot about popsicles until I found a popsicle mold set in a dollar store. I bought it, got to work making popsicles and haven't looked back since.

It was easy to make these treats out of fruit juice, but it was when I started turning leftover smoothies into popsicles that I discovered the perfect ice-cold snack. Combining vanilla yogurt with strawberries and lemon juice made for an excellent pop, but now that blackberry season is in full-swing, these tart juicy berries make great popsicles. The key with blackberries is to strain out the seeds and pulp as you want as clear of a juice as possible. There's a bit of work involved, but the results are so worthwhile. My preference is for a more watery pop, but if you like a more fruit-packed one, use a bit less limeade in your mixture.


Blackberry Lime Popsicles
2 cups fresh blackberries
1/2 - 1 cup yogurt
1 1/2 cup limeade
honey or simple syrup (optional)

Using a blender, puree the berries until smooth. Pour the berries into a mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Press on the puree to extract as much of the pulp and seeds as you can. Discard the seeds and strain the already strained mixture again. You can strain a third time, if necessary. The more strained the juice is, the better.

Pour the mixture back into the blender, adding in the yogurt and limeade and blend until combined. Taste and blend in some honey or simple syrup if it's not sweet enough. Pour mixture into popsicle molds and freeze until firm, 8 hours or overnight. Remove from molds (run under hot water) and lick away!