Popsicle Weather

 

The weather is heating up where we live and that means it's popsicle weather. I have resisted buying popsicle molds for many years because I didn't want to buy plastic ones, even if they were BPA-free. But I finally found a fabulous stainless steel one: the Freezycup™ Stainless Steel Ice Pop Molds made of high-quality food-grade stainless steel 18-8 (304). The Freezycup™ is made by Life Without Plastic, an amazing Canadian company I first read about on Beth Terry's blog My Plastic-free Life (use dropdown menu in left sidebar to switch from CAN$ to US$).

Each Freezycup™popsicle maker has 4 parts: the popsicle cup or mold, lid, silicone gasket (goes in center of lid and holds stick in place), and reusable bamboo stick. I love that the stick is reusable. We have used our sticks at least 10 times and they still look great. It can be tricky with small ones to keep track of all these parts. My children mostly eat their popsicles outside, so we have chosen a spot where they can set their sticks and lids (with gasket) when they are done. They know if these parts get lost, there will be no more popsicles, and so far that has been plenty of motivation.




Clean up is very simple. With no nooks or crannies, the cups can be quickly rinsed out (if you are in a hurry to make more popsicles as we often are) or put through the dishwasher. I usually hand wash the other parts.



Freezycups™are purchased individually and do not require a bulky storage tray (wooden holder is available separately): the cups have a flat bottom which means the popsicles can be stored anywhere in your freezer, together or separately, a great space-saving device. It has, however, been just a little tricky for me to get them into my bottom-freezer refrigerator, because my freezer is a drawer made of metal mesh (no solid surfaces to rest the FreezyCups Ice Molds on). I used an impromptu cardboard box to help keep them in place when the drawer gets pulled in and out. Life Without Plastic also sells a very good-looking wooden holder (holds 4 molds at once) and will soon be selling a stainless steel holder as well, if you want a tray.



The popsicles slide out of the Freezycup™ very easily. I just run the cup under a little water and then the popsicle can easily be pulled out.  The cups (flat bottomed and able to stand on their own without any kind of stand) are also a great place to store the popsicle should you need a little break from an ice-cold mouth. And when your popsicle melts a bit while it sits in the cup, you can drink the melted juice right out of the cup before resuming your popsicle. It's also very easy to store your unfinished popsicle back in the freezer. This feature has been so handy for us because my daughter eats treats so much more slowly than her older brother. The other day we had to leave for school and my daughter was only half-way done with her popsicle. No worries! Stick it in the mold then back in the freezer and it's ready to enjoy again a little while later.

This popsicle size (100 ml or 3.5 oz.) is just about the right size for my 4yo and 6yo. Many plastic molds are just way too enormous for small children, in my opnion. Even if this size is a little large for your kiddos (my 18-month-old can finish about half of one Freezycup™popsicle), you can always stash the partially-eaten popsicle back in the mold and save it for later.

What do we put in our Freezycups™? We keep it pretty simple around here and I've heard no complaints: plain orange juice or leftover smoothies (= homemade yogurt + frozen fruit). I actually have no interest in making elaborate recipes to freeze into popsicles, but there are plenty of recipes out there should you be so inclined. 

The Freezycup™($8.95 each) is a little pricey compared to other popsicle molds. That's because Life Without Plastic is a top-notch green company that cuts no corners. This is one of the few companies I feel absolutely comfortable buying Chinese-made products from because they are completely committed to sustainable and ethical business practices. Life Without Plastic sells a wide variety of high-quality plastic-free kitchen, dining, and lifestyle products. If you can't find a plastic-free alternative to your favorite cookware, dining ware or food storage product, try Life Without Plastic. They have many innovative alternatives you didn't even know existed. I absolutely love their Sanctus Mundo stainless steel cups and plates for kids (and adults) -- so well-made and worth every penny I spent on them.


Disclosure: Life Without Plastic provided me with three Freezycup™Ice Pop Molds to facilitate this review. I have no other affiliation with Life Without Plastic. All opinions are my own. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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