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55 recipes for ice pops, shave ice,

and boozy pops from
brooklyns coolest pop shop
nathalie jordi, david carrell & joel horowitz
photography by jennifer may

TEN SPEED PRESS

Berkeley

55 recipes for ice pops, shave ice,

and boozy pops from
brooklyns coolest pop shop
nathalie jordi, david carrell & joel horowitz
photography by jennifer may

TEN SPEED PRESS

Berkeley

contents
p eo p les p o p s

acknowledgments

late summer

vi

introduction: the story of peoples pops

fundamentals: fruit + sugar + freeze

sp ring

rhubarb | strawberries | cucumbers

early s ummer

89

cranberries | apples | grapes |

pears | pumpkins

29

blueberries | raspberries |
sour cherries | blackberries

mids ummer

corn | cantaloupes | .
honeydews | watermelons | figs

autumn

13

73

51

apricots | peaches |
nectarines | plums

shave ice
index

107

117

measurement conversion charts

120

contents
p eo p les p o p s

acknowledgments

late summer

vi

introduction: the story of peoples pops

fundamentals: fruit + sugar + freeze

sp ring

rhubarb | strawberries | cucumbers

early s ummer

89

cranberries | apples | grapes |

pears | pumpkins

29

blueberries | raspberries |
sour cherries | blackberries

mids ummer

corn | cantaloupes | .
honeydews | watermelons | figs

autumn

13

73

51

apricots | peaches |
nectarines | plums

shave ice
index

107

117

measurement conversion charts

120

sugar, agave nectar, or honey, any of which works

fine. Just remember that they all manifest slightly
different flavors and degrees of sweetness, so youll
have to adjust the mixture to taste.
The basic simple syrup recipe is 2/3 cup (5 fl oz)
water + 2/3 cup (5 oz) sugar = 1 cup (8 fl oz) simple
syrup. This recipe can easily be scaled up or down
just remember that for every volume of simple syrup
you want to make, youll need 62.5 percent of that
amount of both water and sugar. So, for example, if
you want to end up with 11/4 cups simple syrup,
combine 3/4 cup water (11/4 cups x .625) with 3/4 cup
sugar (11/4 cups x .625). If you end up with extra
simple syrup, there are tons of uses for it, including
sweetening your coffee, tea, or cocktails.
Many of the herbs and spices we use in our pops
are introduced by heating them in simple syrup
so that their flavors infuse the syrup. The herbs or
spices can then be strained out or left in, depending
on your preference. Weve found that in the amount
of time it takes to properly infuse an herb or a spice
into simple syrup, about 15 percent of the syrup
evaporates, which our recipes take into account.
Remember that the longer you cook your simple
syrup the more it will reduce, which means that
if you overboil your simple syrup, you may end up
short. So keep an eye on the stove.
6

peoples pops

Add simple syrup to your pop mixture a bit at a

time and taste as you go, because its hard to rewind
once youve gone overboard. Lemon juice or other
acidic ingredients will somewhat offset excessive
sweetness, but its better to be careful the first time
around. That said, as a rule of thumb youll want
your mixtures to taste slightly too sweet, because
their sweetness will be dulled when the mixture is
frozen. On the flip side, too much sugar (or alcohol)
in your pops will keep them from freezing. As with
everything in life, moderation is the key.
Although the temperature of your simple syrup
wont affect the end result of the pops per se, keep
in mind that simple syrup thats warmer will taste
sweeter, and syrup thats colder will taste less sweet.
That means if you add warm syrup to your fruit mixture, youll need to add a little more than you might
think, because youll be tricked into thinking youve
added enough when you havent yet.
Making an infused simple syrup is a great way
to use up wilting herbs. Instead of throwing out the
shriveled-up mint or basil in your fridge, preserve
their flavor by infusing them into syrup, either separately or together. Youll be halfway to a batch of ice
pops already!
Although you can combine several flavors of
leftover syrup to delicious effect (using black tea and

s i m p le s y r u p
2/3 cup (5 oz) organic cane sugar
2/3 cup (5 fl oz) water

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and

bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring
until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is transparent. Turn off the heat and let cool. Add any spices
before the mixture starts to simmer; add any herbs
only after youve turned off the heat. Store plain and
infused syrups in sealed containers in the fridge.
makes 1 cup (8 fl oz)

cardamom syrup, for example), always label all of

the ingredients in your syrup. With the number of
serious food allergies around these days, you cant
play it too safe.
Plain and infused simple syrups last for weeks,
or even months. Just be sure to refrigerate them,
particularly if they have been infused with perishables like herbs or tea. (See the photo of simple
syrup infused with star anise and vanilla at left.)
booze in pops
Were not allowed to sell boozy pops at our stands,
but weve made plenty for our own delectable
consumption at home. Given that alcohol inhibits
freezing, avoid composing a pop with more than
20 percent booze, or it wont freeze well and may
break in half upon unmolding. But we love the
softer texture that booze imparts to pops, so feel
free to amend any of the nonalcoholic pops in this
book to include some type of spirit (see the table
of warm and cool ingredients on page 5 for
some ideas).
We have had limited success incorporating
carbonated beverages into our pops. Having experimented with artisanal sodas, Champagne, and other
fizzy drinks, we find that the carbonation lends
fundamentals

cantaloupe & campari

honeydew & ginger

The slightly bitter flavor of Campari is a great counterpoint to the sweet innocence of cantaloupe. This is an adult ice pop, but if you can find a dock to dangle your feet over while
you eat this, we recommend it: youll feel like a kid again, albeit a very wise one. | MAKES

Good alternatives to ginger in this pop are mint, tarragon, shiso, and hyssop. Or, for
something completely different, consider imitating the exquisite Japanese honeydewand-cream frozen confection that our friend Steve Porto once made us taste, which
weve been resolved to try our hand at ever since. | MAKES 10 POPS

10 POPS

1 cantaloupe, about 2 pounds, peeled and seeded (see page 75)

3/4 cup (6 fl oz) simple syrup (page 7)
1/4 cup (2 fl oz) Campari

Cut the cantaloupe into large chunks and pure in

a food processor. You should have about 21/4 cups
(18 fl oz) of pure.
Transfer the pured cantaloupe to a bowl or
measuring pitcher with a pouring spout. Add the
simple syrup until the cantaloupe tastes quite sweet.
Now dribble in the Campari until you can detect its
flavor. Campari is less alcoholic than most spirits, so
this mixture can handle more of it, but it has such
a strong presence that you want to be careful not to
overdo it.
Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds,
leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand. Insert sticks and freeze until solid,
4 to 5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags
for storage or serve at once.
80

peoples pops

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7 fl oz) simple syrup (page 7)

2 tablespoons (1/2 to 3/4 oz) finely minced fresh ginger

1/2 large honeydew or 1 whole small honeydew, about 2 pounds,
peeled and seeded (see page 75)

Combine the simple syrup and ginger in a small

saucepan. Cover and bring to a simmer over mediumhigh heat. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, then turn
off the heat and let rest while the ginger steeps. Be
careful not to heat the mixture for too long, because
the simple syrup evaporates quickly, reducing the
amount of liquid remaining. You want 3/4 cup (6 fl oz)
to work with. Let cool.
Meanwhile, cut the honeydew into large chunks
and pure in a food processor. You should have about
21/3 cups (19 fl oz) of pure.
Transfer the pured honeydew to a bowl or
measuring pitcher with a pouring spout. Strain the

ginger out of the simple syrup and reserve the ginger.

Add 2/3 to 3/4 cup (5 to 6 fl oz) of the ginger simple
syrup to the honeydew, or until the honeydew tastes
sweet and the ginger is zingy and vigorous. If you like
a lot of ginger, add some of the minced ginger back
into the mixture.
Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds,
leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand. Insert sticks and freeze until solid,
4 to 5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags
for storage or serve at once.

late summer

81

A h, berries. Has there ever been a more perfect fruit for ice pops? They dont need
to be seeded, stoned, peeled, hulled, or pitted (except for cherries), and they have a built-in
acidity that translates into pops with a really well-balanced flavor. After hulling a gazillion
strawberries, we breathe a big sigh of relief when the blueberries come in.
Berries have an incredibly short shelf life, which means you can often get a great deal
on them at farmers markets. Think of the end of Seamus Heaneys wonderful poem Blackberry Picking:



It wasnt fair
That all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot.
Each year I hoped theyd keep, knew they would not.
Somebody send this man our Blackberry & Rose recipe!

blueberries
Of all the fruits we use, blueberries are one of the
friendliest. In the sink, they descend gently to the
bottom while the stems and leaves float to the surface,
where they can be picked out easily, and they dont
absorb water the way softer berries do. They dont
need pitting, hulling, or peeling. Whether or not they
need to be sieved is a matter of contention between
Nathalie, who thinks that they do, and Joel, who
thinks that they dont. Not sieving blueberries will
result in a textured pop punctuated with crispy little
seeds, which tend to sink to the bottom of the mold,
30

peoples pops

or the tip of the pop. Sieving is a bit of a struggle and

will result in your losing about 15 to 20 percent of the
fruit, but its good exercise and your efforts will be
rewarded with incredibly soft texture and rich flavor.
Although most fruits lose sweetness when frozen
into pops, freezing seems to magnify blueberries
sweetness, so dont overdo it. We also recommend
using freshly squeezed lemon juice in blueberry pops,
because it counters blueberries natural lack of acidity.
In addition to the examples in this chapter,
consider pairing blueberries with citrus, cream,
lavender, or black tea.

raspberries
Of all the fruits out there, raspberries may be those
best suited to making pops. They have a natural
acidity that really comes to life upon freezing, and
their texture is unparalleled. You can strain out the
seeds for a more refined texture, but we like the
rustic feel and interesting crunch of the seeds. To
avoid the bland taste of waterlogged fruit, try to
use raspberries that have dried off thoroughly after
being washed. Frozen raspberries work quite well,
although if you heat them up as part of the defrosting process, like we do, they will take on a jammy
taste. Its noticeably different, but no less delicious.
The best pop we think weve ever made
Raspberries & Basil (page 39)is in this chapter, but
consider pairing raspberries with star anise, vanilla,
white tea, or bergamot as well.
s o u r c h er r i es
One morning at the Union Square Greenmarket we
were introduced to Peter Hoffman, the legendary
New York City chef who was one of the first to make
shopping there cool. Hey, you should put these sour
cherries into your pops, he said. No way, we thought.
Wed been burned by cherries before. Our one previ-

ous attempt had involved an entire afternoon of pitting, followed by an unfortunate pureing that turned
the cherries an unappealing brown and dissipated all
of their flavor. Not these, said Peter. Cook them
with sugar, like you would to make jam. The colors
amazing and the taste will blow your mind.
When the likes of Peter Hoffman gives you these
pearls of wisdom, you listen. You buy. You stem the
cherries, watch them ripple like expensive marbles as
you pour them into a big jam pot, add some organic
sugar, and turn on the heat. He was right. Piquant and
full-flavored, they turned a gorgeous ruby red. Our
one mistake? Figuring that the cooked cherries would
burst like damson plums, releasing their pits buoyantly to the top of the pot. Boy, did we figure wrong.
early summer

31

A h, berries. Has there ever been a more perfect fruit for ice pops? They dont need
to be seeded, stoned, peeled, hulled, or pitted (except for cherries), and they have a built-in
acidity that translates into pops with a really well-balanced flavor. After hulling a gazillion
strawberries, we breathe a big sigh of relief when the blueberries come in.
Berries have an incredibly short shelf life, which means you can often get a great deal
on them at farmers markets. Think of the end of Seamus Heaneys wonderful poem Blackberry Picking:



It wasnt fair
That all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot.
Each year I hoped theyd keep, knew they would not.
Somebody send this man our Blackberry & Rose recipe!

blueberries
Of all the fruits we use, blueberries are one of the
friendliest. In the sink, they descend gently to the
bottom while the stems and leaves float to the surface,
where they can be picked out easily, and they dont
absorb water the way softer berries do. They dont
need pitting, hulling, or peeling. Whether or not they
need to be sieved is a matter of contention between
Nathalie, who thinks that they do, and Joel, who
thinks that they dont. Not sieving blueberries will
result in a textured pop punctuated with crispy little
seeds, which tend to sink to the bottom of the mold,
30

peoples pops

or the tip of the pop. Sieving is a bit of a struggle and

will result in your losing about 15 to 20 percent of the
fruit, but its good exercise and your efforts will be
rewarded with incredibly soft texture and rich flavor.
Although most fruits lose sweetness when frozen
into pops, freezing seems to magnify blueberries
sweetness, so dont overdo it. We also recommend
using freshly squeezed lemon juice in blueberry pops,
because it counters blueberries natural lack of acidity.
In addition to the examples in this chapter,
consider pairing blueberries with citrus, cream,
lavender, or black tea.

raspberries
Of all the fruits out there, raspberries may be those
best suited to making pops. They have a natural
acidity that really comes to life upon freezing, and
their texture is unparalleled. You can strain out the
seeds for a more refined texture, but we like the
rustic feel and interesting crunch of the seeds. To
avoid the bland taste of waterlogged fruit, try to
use raspberries that have dried off thoroughly after
being washed. Frozen raspberries work quite well,
although if you heat them up as part of the defrosting process, like we do, they will take on a jammy
taste. Its noticeably different, but no less delicious.
The best pop we think weve ever made
Raspberries & Basil (page 39)is in this chapter, but
consider pairing raspberries with star anise, vanilla,
white tea, or bergamot as well.
s o u r c h er r i es
One morning at the Union Square Greenmarket we
were introduced to Peter Hoffman, the legendary
New York City chef who was one of the first to make
shopping there cool. Hey, you should put these sour
cherries into your pops, he said. No way, we thought.
Wed been burned by cherries before. Our one previ-

ous attempt had involved an entire afternoon of pitting, followed by an unfortunate pureing that turned
the cherries an unappealing brown and dissipated all
of their flavor. Not these, said Peter. Cook them
with sugar, like you would to make jam. The colors
amazing and the taste will blow your mind.
When the likes of Peter Hoffman gives you these
pearls of wisdom, you listen. You buy. You stem the
cherries, watch them ripple like expensive marbles as
you pour them into a big jam pot, add some organic
sugar, and turn on the heat. He was right. Piquant and
full-flavored, they turned a gorgeous ruby red. Our
one mistake? Figuring that the cooked cherries would
burst like damson plums, releasing their pits buoyantly to the top of the pot. Boy, did we figure wrong.
early summer

31

raspberries & cream

This is the prettiest pop we make. We like to dribble a little bit of extra cream down one
side of the mold (dont overdo ita teaspoon is plenty). The cream will drip down and
collect at the bottom of the mold, and when you pour in the raspberry mixture, the swirly
effect is gorgeous. When Martha Stewart had one of these she said it was the best pop
shed ever tasted. The moment is immortalized in a photograph that weve proudly hung
in our Chelsea shop. | MAKES 10 POPS
1 pound (4 cups) raspberries
2/3 cup (5 fl oz) simple syrup (page 7)
1/2 cup (4 fl oz) heavy cream

Pure the raspberries in a food processor or smash

with a potato masher. Transfer them to a bowl or
measuring pitcher with a pouring spout and add the
simple syrup. Stir well and taste; significant seasonal
variation in raspberries means the sweetness of your
mixture may need tweaking. Add the cream and stir
very, very minimally. The swirl effect in the finished
pop is an aesthetic (and gustatory) effect really worth

40

peoples pops

trying to achieve, and the act of pouring the cream

into the molds will do a lot to homogenize the mixture, so dont overmix it.
Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to
expand. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to
5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags for
storage or serve at once.

raspberries & cream

This is the prettiest pop we make. We like to dribble a little bit of extra cream down one
side of the mold (dont overdo ita teaspoon is plenty). The cream will drip down and
collect at the bottom of the mold, and when you pour in the raspberry mixture, the swirly
effect is gorgeous. When Martha Stewart had one of these she said it was the best pop
shed ever tasted. The moment is immortalized in a photograph that weve proudly hung
in our Chelsea shop. | MAKES 10 POPS
1 pound (4 cups) raspberries
2/3 cup (5 fl oz) simple syrup (page 7)
1/2 cup (4 fl oz) heavy cream

Pure the raspberries in a food processor or smash

with a potato masher. Transfer them to a bowl or
measuring pitcher with a pouring spout and add the
simple syrup. Stir well and taste; significant seasonal
variation in raspberries means the sweetness of your
mixture may need tweaking. Add the cream and stir
very, very minimally. The swirl effect in the finished
pop is an aesthetic (and gustatory) effect really worth

40

peoples pops

trying to achieve, and the act of pouring the cream

into the molds will do a lot to homogenize the mixture, so dont overmix it.
Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to
expand. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to
5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags for
storage or serve at once.

mea s u r em e n t c o n v er s i o n c h a r t s
volume

t em p er a t u r e

U.S.

Imperial

Metric

Fahrenheit

Celsius/Gas Mark

1 tablespoon

1/2 fl oz

15 ml

250F

120C/gas mark 1/2

2 tablespoons

1 fl oz

30 ml

275F

135C/gas mark 1

1/4 cup

2 fl oz

60 ml

300F

150C/gas mark 2

1/3 cup

3 fl oz

90 ml

325F

160C/gas mark 3

1/2 cup

4 fl oz

120 ml

350F

180 or 175C/gas mark 4

2/3 cup

5 fl oz (1/4 pint)

150 ml

375F

190C/gas mark 5

3/4 cup

6 fl oz

180 ml

400F

200C/gas mark 6

1 cup

8 fl oz (1/3 pint)

240 ml

425F

220C/gas mark 7

1 1/4 cups

10 fl oz (1/2 pint)

300 ml

450F

230C/gas mark 8

2 cups (1 pint)

16 fl oz (2/3 pint)

480 ml

475F

245C/gas mark 9

2 1/2 cups

20 fl oz (1 pint)

600 ml

500F

260C

1 quart

32 fl oz (12/3 pints)

1l

weight
length
Inch

Metric

Inch

Metric

U.S./
Imperial

Metric

U.S./
Imperial

Metric

1/2 oz

15 g

1/3 lb

150 g
225 g

1/4 inch

6 mm

1 inch

2.5 cm

1 oz

30 g

1/2 lb

1/2 inch

1.25 cm

6 inches (1/2 foot)

15 cm

2 oz

60 g

3/4 lb

350 g

3/4 inch

2 cm

12 inches (1 foot)

30 cm

1/4 lb

115 g

1 lb

450 g

Copyright 2012 by Nathalie Jordi, David Carrell, and Joel Horowitz

Photographs copyright 2012 by Jennifer May
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.,
New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com
Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jordi, Nathalie.
Peoples Pops : 55 recipes for ice pops, shave ice, and boozy pops from Brooklyns coolest pop shop / Nathalie Jordi,
David Carrell, and Joel Horowitz ; photography by Jennifer May.
p. cm.
Includes index.
Summary: A collection of 55 seasonal ice pops and shave ice recipesProvided by publisher.
1. Ice pops. 2. Peoples Pops. 3. Cookbooks. I. Carrell, David, 1982 II. Horowitz, Joel, 1981 III. Title.
TX795.J67 2012
641.863dc23
2011046653
ISBN 978-1-60774-211-1
eISBN 978-1-60774-212-8
Printed in China
Design by Betsy Stromberg
Prop styling by Alana Chernila
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition

120

Pur
chas
eacopyof

PEOPL
E
SPOPS
atoneoft
hes
er
et
ai
l
er
s
: