Berry Sorbet-sicles

I love push up frozen pops.  LOVE them.  I also love lemon ice and recently I have been all about simple herb syrup.  A frozen pop can combine all of that.  I have made them in the past with a product called zipzicles, which is a pouch you can freeze your simple syrup creations into to freeze and eat as a popsicle.  You can order some through the mail here:  Zipzicle pouches

Syrups are the tastiest and sweetest types of herbal infusions you can make. Here are instructions for creating your own yummy syrup at home:

elderberry along Kline Creek were I once lived

Elderberry Syrup

1.                  Simmer 2 ounces of elderberries, dried, in 1 quart of water over low heat until the mixture reduces down to 1 pint of liquid.

2.                   Strain the herbs from the liquid, and place the liquid back into the pot.

3.                   Add one cup of sweetener (see note) and warm over low heat until the sweetener and herbal liquid are completely mixed.  NOTE: Sweeteners used can be honey, vegetable glycerin, agave nectar, maple syrup, or sugar.  If using raw honey, be careful not to simmer or boil the syrup, as this will destroy some of the beneficial properties of the honey. 

4.                   At this point, you may add a flavoring extract or fruit concentrate if you wish to flavor it.  Lemon juice may be added for sore or tickly throats, or brandy can be added as a relaxant and preservative.

5.                   Remove from heat, bottle and place in refrigerator.  Your herbal syrup will last for several weeks to months within the refrigerator.

To make a perfect popsicle with this syrup, add 1/2 cup of sparkling soda or seltzer water to the pint of syrup then pour into the pouches to freeze.

Fruit Syrup

You can use a slightly different method to make syrup if you are using berries or fruits.

1.       If using fresh berries, I first squeeze the juice of a lemon into a pan, and then simmer the berries along with a broken cinnamon stick, slices of ginger and a cardamom pod or two. Sometimes if there are some old vanilla beans around, I'll toss one of them in too.
2.          I smoosh it every so often with a potato masher.
3.          After 30 minutes or so, I strain the berries in a mesh strainer, and then pour them into a square of tight knit cloth (I cut up old t-shirts specifically for this job) and squeeze as hard as you can to get as much juice as possible.
4.          If you're using dried berries, use about 1/2 cup of berries to perhaps 2 cups of water and the juice of a lemon.  Continue as above with the fresh.
5.       Measure the juice. Add an equal amount of sugar (I usually add an additional 1/2 cup or so), and bring to a boil for about 3 minutes, skimming off any foam that may rise to the top.
6.        Cool the mixture then add to pouches to make popsicles or freeze in a shallow pan to make a sorbet.

Check out the previous step by step "How To" make an herb popsicle with lemon verbena and lemon balm here: Herb Popsicles.