23 Jul 2021

3 Fun Summer Herbal Popsicles

Tagselder, herbal popsicles, lemon balm, Matcha, mint, passion fruit, summer

What is better than having a cold, delicious, and healthy treat ready in the freezer, waiting for you when the weather is hot? Herbal iced teas are awesome, but have you tried to make your own herbal popsicles from infusions, adding fruit or coconut cream?

If you have a popsicle mold at home, these are surprisingly easy to prepare and there are endless options!

The best thing about your homemade herbal popsicle is that you get to choose what goes in them and the amount of sweetener they contain. This is fun for the whole family, especially kids!

Feel free to switch up the herbs according to your preferences—you can’t really go wrong!

In this blog post, I will present to you three delicious herbal popsicle recipes with amazing combinations.

lemon balm-passion fruit popsicles

Zesty Lemon Balm-Passion Fruit Popsicles

This recipe is for all the sourness-lovers out there! The base is a lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) infusion, that is both relaxing and uplifting. With a lemon balm base, this herbal popsicle recipe is an excellent nervine, and helps to restore overall function of the nervous system (Ehrlich, 2011). For the extra-fresh flavor, lemon juice is added, balanced out with a little honey and fresh passion fruit pulp! Yield: 4 popsicles.

Ingredients

400 mL filtered water
½ cup fresh lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
fresh juice of 1 large lemon
4 ripe passion fruits (Passiflora edulis)
4 teaspoons honey

Directions

Prepare an infusion with the filtered water and lemon balm, allow to cool to room temperature.
Squeeze the lemon and combine the juice with the infusion and add the honey.
Place the passion fruit and some lemon balm leaves in the popsicle mold and then pour in the infusion mix.
Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours or overnight.

matcha lime popsicles

Creamy Coconut-Matcha-Lime Popsicles

Are you a fan of iced-matcha lattes? Then you will fall in love with these pops! The lime zest and juice balances out the taste of the coconut milk and green tea perfectly— definitely a must try if the watery popsicles are not your favorite. Yield: 4 popsicles.

Matcha is green tea (Camellia sinensis) processed in a way that makes it possible to consume the whole leaves, not just an infusion of the leaves, which makes it more potent. It contains the highest amount of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant flavonoids, which green tea is famous for. Green tea boosts the process of detoxification that occurs in the liver, thus helping the liver do its job of keeping the level of inflammatory compounds in the body at a manageable level (Romm, n.d.).

Ingredients

400 mL thick & creamy coconut milk
2 teaspoons matcha powder
1 lime (juice and peel)
4 teaspoons honey

Directions

Whisk the matcha powder with a splash of water until it’s lump-free.
Squeeze the lime and grate some lime zest.
Combine the juice and peel with the coconut milk and add the honey.
Place the matcha in the popsicle-mold and then pour in the coconut mix.
Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours or overnight.

cucumber elderflower popsicles

Cooling Cucumber-Mint-Elderflower Popsicles

Cucumber and mint is a refreshing summer-combo, but using these lovely elder blossoms as an infusion-base makes it even more delightful! Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) helps to cool the body by moving the blood (and thus heat) to the surface of the body where it is released through pores, it is also a diuretic that encourages the elimination of excess heat through the kidneys (McIntyre, 2000). Yield: 4 popsicles.

Ingredients

400 mL filtered water
1/2 mini cucumber
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh or dried elder (Sambucus nigra) flower
6-8 fresh mint leaves
4 teaspoons honey

Directions

Prepare an infusion with the filtered water and elderflower, allow to cool to room temperature.
Slice the cucumber thinly.
Squeeze the lime and combine the juice with the infusion and add the honey.
Place the cucumber slices and mint leaves in the popsicle mold and then pour in the infusion-mix.
Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours or overnight.

lemon balm popsicles

Enjoying Summer to the Fullest with Fun Herbal Recipes

These herbal popsicles are truly like a delicious cup of tea in a popsicle! Also, making homemade herbal popsicles is a great way to preserve and enjoy your summer herb harvest during the year.

Get creative and find your own favorite herbal blends! Surprise your friends and family with these extra fancy but super easy and nourishing summer treats—definitely a summer memory they won’t forget!

REFERENCES

Ehrlich, Steven D. (2011). Lemon balm. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Guide. The University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved from http://accurateclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Lemon-balm-University-of-Maryland-Medical-Center.pdf

McIntyre, A. (2000). Drink to your health. New York, New York: Fireside.

Romm, A. (n.d.). The adrenal thyroid revolution supplement guide. Retrieved from https://avivaromm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/aviva_supplement_tables.pdf