Who does not love a icy popsicle on a hot summer day? One you eat so fast you get a throat or brain freeze. These peach popsicles are so refreshing  and delicious. If you add the vanilla, they taste a little like peach ice cream.

Make sure the peaches are ripe. Place them in a brown paper bag to ripen them if they are still hard. It takes a day or two but do not forget about them. They ripen faster than you think and will be a gooey mess if your leave them too long. The organic ones I found at Whole Foods were ripe and ready to eat that day. The kids could not wait to make these peach popsicles after I showed them the photos online.

I decided to try this recipe first since I did not need to make a simple syrup or warm the peaches. You can buy freshly squeezed orange juice at the store to simplify things but if you have some extra time, I highly recommend squeezing your own juice and using the orange peels to make candies orange slices. They are great to take to the pool for a sugary snack and last for months in the freezer.

Make sure you double the recipe to enjoy a peach smoothie while you wait for them to freeze. You can add a little sparkling water for the kids or a little Prosecco for you to create a Bellini. You can drink the smoothie without adding anything; it is very sweet!

Directions

1) Wash and remove the pits in the peaches. Add 4 peaches, 1/4 cup of cane sugar or honey, 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, and the juice from 1 lemon in your blender. Add the 1/4 teaspoon vanilla if you want a richer flavor or ginger for a little zing.  I prefer to add a small chunk of peeled ginger for the taste as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Blend well.

2) If you want peach chunks and/or some fresh mint or basil in the popsicles, cut the fruit and herbs up with a knife and add them after you pureed the ingredients above. (I add half a peach to the popsicles and use the other half to garnish the drinks.) Give your blender one pulse and they should be mixed into the peach puree. Pour the puree into your popsicle molds. Look for BPA free popsicle containers. I love my stainless steel molds but my son has thrown away several of the lids thinking they are disposable with the stick attached to them.

3) Freeze for several hours. They will last for several weeks in your freezer. The trick to getting the popsicles to slide out of the mold is to run them under some warm water for several seconds and gently squeeze the container right before you pull them out. It works every time. Enjoy!

Why you want to Eat This!

• Peaches are naturally sweet and a good food to eat when you have a sweet tooth. They are rich in 10 different vitamins and several minerals. The fruit is a good source of vitamin A which is good for your vision and Vitamin C beneficial for your immune system. Antioxidants found in the skin and flesh of the peach may reduce the effects of aging and help to remove free radicals from your body so you stay healthy and reduce the number of cancer cells.
• Oranges are rich in Vitamin C and fiber and a good source of B vitamins, potassium, vitamin A and calcium. The Vitamin C removes free radicals which can protect you against cardiovascular disease, boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, reduce kidney stones, reduce risk of certain cancers, and lower cholesterol.
• “Compounds in Orange Peel May Lower Cholesterol as Effectively as Statin Drugs.” read more I did speak to a good friend who is a Cardiologist and he said there has not been enough research done on humans to determine if orange peel will work as well as a statin so he continues to recommend the statins to his patients, especially since they will not change their diets. He did not see anything wrong with incorporating orange peel into your diet and see if it would work. It may be good at preventing so you will not ever need to take a statin!

References:

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chunky_peach_popsicles.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/dining/rosemary-candied-orange-peel-recipe.html?_r=1&

https://www.livestrong.com/article/408214-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-peaches/

https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=37