As the first days of summer have arrived and the heat wave continues, keep your freezer stocked with fresh fruit popsicles! Whether you’re having trouble getting your kids to eat more fruit, or simply just want a healthy and delicious way to cool down these long and hot summer days, popsicles are the perfect way to use any extra fruit. At Buncombe County farmers markets you can find a few lingering strawberries and cherries, as well as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, and nectarines.
Popsicles can be versatile in flavor combinations and only require a popsicle mold or small cups, popsicle sticks, a blender, and a freezer. Plus, they don’t use any heat to make! For a Berry Good Popsicle, start with about two cups of blueberries, a half a cup of blackberries, honey, and lemon juice. Wash all of your fresh fruit and set aside. Place your berries into a blender, add a little honey and lemon juice, then blend for about 30 seconds until smooth. If you prefer your popsicles to be creamier, add a half cup to one cup of yogurt or non-dairy milk. You can get local sheep’s milk yogurt from Grassroots Farm (at North Asheville and West Asheville markets). Taste your mixture and sweeten to taste with more honey (for kids over age one). Pour the blended berry mixture into the cups or molds until full, and then insert a popsicle stick into the middle of the cup. Freeze for four to five hours until solid. Sometimes it’s easier to wait one hour before inserting the popsicle sticks. You can also use foil on top of the molds to secure the popsicle stick. After much anticipation, your popsicles are ready to enjoy!
For varying flavor combinations, try this recipe with peaches, cherries, raspberries, and more! If you are making larger batches, remove popsicles from the cups or molds and place them in freezer bags, getting all of the air out. Store for up to six months, if you can even wait that long to eat them all!
If you’re pressed for time and still looking for a way to cool down while using some of this week’s produce, try pairing some peach slices and blackberries with some seasonal inspired and made-from-scratch ice cream from Meadowsweet Creamery (North Asheville Tailgate Market).
Creasman Farms brought their first picking of peaches this season to Asheville City Market and Black Mountain Tailgate Market this past Saturday. For more peaches, also keep an eye out for Lyda and Sons Family Orchard at Weaverville Tailgate Market or Lee’s One Fortune Farm at Asheville City, Black Mountain, West Asheville, River Arts District, and East Asheville markets! Full Sun Farm, Flying Cloud Farm, and Gaining Ground Farm have brought some delicious blueberries to the River Arts District and North Asheville markets. McConnell Farm also had blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, peaches, and nectarines at North Asheville Tailgate Market. Bear Necessities Farm has had red raspberries for the past few weeks at Asheville City and West Asheville markets. Seven Seeds Farm even had black raspberries at Asheville City Market this past week!
Also spotted at markets in recent weeks: carrots, cucumber, summer squash, fennel, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, radishes, spinach, kale, chard, mushrooms, garlic, and onions, as well as the first sightings of peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. Markets offer an abundance of farm-fresh eggs and meats, including chicken, pork, beef, and lamb. You can also get bread, cheese, pastries, fermented products, drinks, and prepared foods. Find more details about farms and markets throughout the region, including hours and location, in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide.