An 11-year-old boy named Frank Epperson invented popsicle in 1905. He left soda powder and water outside overnight with its wooden stirrer still in the cup. The mixture had frozen in the chilly nighttime weather, and so the popsicle was born. He sold the treat around his neighborhood and a nearby amusement park and even patented the recipe. Years later, he changed the name to because Popsiclethat’s what his kids called their pop’s concoction.
The refreshing ice pops were an immediate hit and later went on to achieve national success, with the first ones sold in a variety of seven flavors for just five cents each. Epperson later sold the rights to his invention to the Joe Lowe Company in New York City. During the Great Depression, the company debuted the belived double-stick Popsicle, which allowed two children to easily share the delicious treat for the same price as one.
An ice pop is a liquid-based frozen snack on a stick. It is unlike ice cream or sorbet, which are whipped while freezing to prevent ice crystal formation. An ice pop is “quiescently” frozen—frozen while at rest—and becomes a solid block of ice. The stick is used as a handle to hold it.
How to make a popsicle?
Cut a fruit, make a simple syrup by heating equal parts water and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Puree the fruit with some lemon juice in a blender, then stir in the simple syrup. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze them for at least 3 hours, then enjoy your cold treat!
