Popsicles are a brilliant, refreshing treat to help you cool down and are the perfect option for dessert, especially across the long, hot Summers.
However, as delicious as they are, popsicles are not always the healthiest option out there.
Although they are readily available, unfortunately, a large majority of store-bought popsicles are packed with added sugar, artificial flavors, and coloring that aren’t great for you to consume on a daily basis.
However, making popsicles with healthier ingredients that don’t compromise on flavor from your own home can change that in an instant!
Making and creating new flavor combinations for homemade popsicles is an excellent alternative for you and your little ones, as you can mix and match the ingredients, experiment with flavors, and most importantly, know exactly how much sugar has gone into them, too.
As well as this, it is also just a fun activity for the whole family to get involved in! However, people new to making homemade popsicles might be thinking: how long does it take for popsicles to freeze?
Check out the aspects that will affect how quickly your popsicles will freeze below.
Temperature
The amount of time it takes to freeze your popsicle will mainly come down to the temperature of your freezer.
The temperature of your freezer should be 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to freeze your popsicles perfectly, as popsicles with a higher sugar content than water will require it to be a colder temperature in order to freeze.
This is the same when it comes to making boozy popsicles for the adults!
You can also turn your freezer down to a colder setting to set your popsicles more quickly, but just be wary to turn it back up once they have finished freezing.
That being said, they will still take a few hours to freeze - so be patient! No one wants their popsicle to get stuck in the mold when if it’s not quite ready yet.
Liquid & sugar content
How quickly your popsicles freeze will depend on the liquid that you use to make them.
Liquids high in sugar content that you might want to add to your popsicle molds, such as fruit juice or soda, take a significantly longer time to freeze than water does.
This is because water doesn’t contain any of the impurities that juice and soda as soft drinks do, which in this case is a high sugar content.
As a result, the sugar molecules are not the same shape or size as the water molecules are, so they don't fit into the ice crystals.
This, therefore, makes popsicles with high sugar content harder to freeze quickly.
It is worth noting that alcohol also takes significantly longer to freeze than water does, so make sure that you allow plenty of time if you wish to make an alcoholic popsicle for a special occasion.
I know what you’re thinking, but all good things in life take time! So if you’re thinking of making a refreshing popsicle that contains your favorite tipple, take this into consideration and plan ahead for the occasion!
If you’re not careful, your lack of planning could leave you with an alcoholic slush puppy as opposed to a boozy popsicle.
When choosing what type of liquid to make your popsicles with you should take the liquid and sugar content into consideration, as the liquid you choose is bound to affect the time it takes for them to freeze.
Viscosity
It is also worth mentioning that the viscosity of your popsicles will determine how long it will take them to freeze, so if you’re pushed for time it is something equally as important to consider.
Getting creative in your kitchen is all part of the fun, especially as making popsicles can be a fun family activity for everyone to get involved in.
If you prefer a creamy popsicle, there are many options you can either blend or choose to add to real fruit that creates an incredibly delicious result. Your kids will love them!
However, dairy-based products, such as greek yogurt, and milk are much thicker and have a lower water content than water-based liquids.
A lower water content means that there are fewer water crystals to make your popsicles icy, and this can affect the time it takes to freeze as they are thicker in consistency.
This is similar to vegan alternatives, such as coconut milk and coconut yogurt will also add creaminess and a subtle flavor to your popsicles.
However, as nut milk contains a higher content of water and is generally less viscous than dairy products, it may take a longer amount of time to freeze these alternatives to full dairy products.
Freeze time
So how long does it take to freeze popsicles? Depending on the ingredients that your popsicles are made out of, we recommend that you should freeze them for at least 4-8 hours to ensure that they’re frozen solid and you can get them out of their molds with ease.
However, if you want to be extra cautious, overnight freezing is always a safer option to avoid disappointment and it also means that you have something to look forward to the day after you prepare your popsicles for the freezer.
The best preparation tip for making and freezing popsicles is to plan ahead.
If you know that your family is the type that just can’t wait to eat your homemade popsicles, it’s always good to make a big batch any time that you do with reusable molds.
This is easy enough to do when you’re chopping up fresh fruit and using greek yogurt from the fridge and means that you can spend less time in the kitchen on hot summer days.
After all, once you start experimenting with flavors and taste how much yummier homemade popsicles can be than store-bought popsicles - you’ll want all the backups you can get in the freezer.
The options truly are endless with homemade popsicles. Need we say more? Enjoy!