Cucumber-Lime-Mint (& Rum) Ice Pops: A Frozen Cocktail and Simple Saturday Sipper

This week my Simple Saturday Sipper is a bit more solid than the usual drink I feature. These Cucumber-Lime-Mint (& Rum) Ice Pops are a fun way to enjoy a delicious cocktail. They are from my new cookbook, "Ice Pops: Recipes for Fresh and Flavorful Frozen Treats" by Shelly Kaldunski, from the wonderful Kim at Stirring the Pot. I made and enjoyed the Mexican Chocolate Pops earlier in the week and this recipe also caught my eye. My first thought after reading the recipe title "Cucumber-Lime-Mint" pops, was that it sounded like the base for a great mojito. Then I got down to the bottom of the recipe where it said you could make these into a frozen cocktail by adding vodka or gin and knew I was in business. In keeping with the mojito theme, I decided on rum as my alcohol of choice. Although you can't sip these--they are simple and refreshing.

Kaldunski says, "The cool and refreshing combination of cucumber, lime, and mint will surprise and delight all ice pop lovers. A perfect way to beat the heat in the summer, these ice pops are elegant enough to impress and far too delicious to resist."

Cucumber-Lime-Mint (& Rum) Ice Pops

"Ice Pops" by Shelly Kaldunski

(Makes 8-10 Ice Pops)

1/2 cup (4 oz/125 g) sugar (I used 1/4 cup agave nectar)

1 English cucumber, cut crosswise into thin slices

1/2 cup (4 oz/125 g) freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup (2 oz/ 7 g) fresh mint leaves

1 tsp finely grated lime zest

(I added 1/4 cup rum--see "Pop Swap" notes below)

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, half of the cucumber slices (about 20), the lime juice, and the mint leaves. Pour in 1 3/4 cups (14 fl oz / 430 ml) water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Strain the cucumber mixture into a 4-cup (32 fl oz/1-l) measure with a pour spout. Add the lime zest and stir to combine.

If using conventional ice pop molds. divide the cucumber mixture among the molds. Then, divide the remaining cucumber slices among the molds, using a stick to push the slices down into the molds. Cover and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. If using sticks, insert them into the molds when the pops are partially frozen, after about 1 hour, then freeze until solid, at least 3 more hours. If using an instant ice pop maker, follow the manufacturer's instructions to fill the molds, adding the cucumber slices as above, and freeze the pops.

Pop Swap: To turn this pop into a frozen cocktail, add 1/4 cup (2 fl oz / 60 ml) vodka or gin to the strained cucumber mixture. Increase the freezing time to 5 hours.


Notes/Results: Like a mojito on a stick--with cucumber of course! This is a great, refreshing combination of flavors. I was surprised and pleased with how well the cucumber flavor comes out--in fact none of the flavors overpower each other--they just work well together. Rather than using the 1/2 cup sugar, I substituted 1/4 cup of agave nectar instead. Of course if you want to give these to the kiddies or don't want the alcohol, they would be perfectly delicious without it too. These pops are really good and perfect warm weather party fare. I will be making them again, and probably often throughout the season.

Happy Saturday!