lychee lime popsicles

In India and in many countries in Asia, lychees (aka litchi) are a beloved fruit. The fruit has an outer pink shell that is easily peeled off to reveal a translucent white jelly like fruit. Inside the fruit is a large brown seed that is discarded. Often during the blazing hot months of summer in Bombay , we’d eat lychees by the dozen but one of my favorite frozen treats was a lychee sorbet that this recipe is inspired by. These popsicles are sweet, and full of tropical fruit flavors of lychees mingled with the distinct citrusy flavors of fresh limes. One is not enough.

The Cook’s Notes

You can use one or two popsicle molds. Two molds of course, offers the convenience of making them all at the same time. Otherwise work in batches, freeze one set first, store the other liquid covered in the refrigerator. Unmold the first set of popsicles and store them, then freeze the second batch.

I used canned lychees because that’s easier to find. You could fresh lychees if you have access to them but you will need to account for the sugar syrup and the sugar concentration since this recipe utilizes the syrup from the can.

Honey serves as a source of fructose here to help reduce the size and amount of ice crystals formed. Maple syrup is not a source of fructose so it will not produce the same effect. You can use it as a substitute if you decided to make this vegan but the crystals will be slightly bigger.

For a smoother texture (I usually don’t do this with popsicles), you can churn the liquid in an ice cream maker like you would a sorbet and then pack your popsicle molds with the mixture. Packing the mixture can be a bit tricky and it also gives the popsicle a “milkier” look which I don’t care for that much. I like popsicles to be somewhat transparent.

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lychee lime popsicles

Makes 20 popsicles

Blend

2 cans of lychees (each can weighs1 lb 4 oz/565g ) in syrup

1/4 cup/50g sugar

1/4 cup/60ml fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp/30ml runny honey

zest of 2 limes

1/8 tsp fine sea salt

over high speed until smooth. Skim and discard the froth. You can strain the liquid through a fine mesh cheesecloth held over a bowl to remove any solids, I don’t do this because I like the grainy texture of the crushed fruit.

Stir the liquid well and divide the liquid between 20 popsicle molds (see The Cooks Notes), leaving a minimum of 1/4 inch/6mm dead space at the top. This will give the liquid space to expand as it freezes. Place the lid on top of the mold, insert the popsicle sticks, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

When ready to eat, run the mold under warm water to loosen the popsicle and unmold. Serve immediately. Popsicles can be stored in the mold or unmold the popsicles, and place them between sheets of parchment paper or clingfilm, and store in an airtight, freezer-safe container. The popsicles will stay good for up to 1 week in the freezer.