Exotic Fruit Ice Lollies

Each year as the mango season is upon us we enjoy eating it just as it is meant to be – plain and simple. The other favourite is to have mango pulp (ras) with our meal (it is great served with puri and any curry). Just so as we can prolong the taste and enjoy them well after the season has ended, it is always a good idea to freeze the pulp.

In the Indian culture mangoes are considered to be the king of all fruits, a place which is rightly deserved as the taste, aroma and juice of the fruit are all beyond comparison. In recent times it has become quite the trend to label the food that we eat as super foods or foods that are good for us. In my opinion all food if eaten in the correct quantity is a super food as it is all good for us, some may have qualities that other fruits don’t but that does not mean we eat any less of it. Having said that mangoes are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and dietary minerals &  fibre, hence qualifying as a ideal superfruit.

When I made these ice lollies last year, with my son, they were with just plain mango. So this year I thought I will do two batches, one with just mango and the other with some other fruit mixed in. So I thought of the 5 a day campaign and tried to incorporate as many fruits as I had at the time. Four out of five is not bad and considering they are all rich in vitamin C, A & E and in potassium, phytochemicals, and nutrients. This is one of the main reasons why I like to make these kind of foods at home as I know that it is 100% fruit, not from concentrate and not ladled with sugar and addatives. I know exactly what goes into the lollies and I control the content of fruit and sugar. This is exactly how  it was when we young, as there were no sell by dates on the food we ate nor did it give us any allergies or side effects. The fact that it is so quick and easy to make should be the other deciding factor in making these lollies.

Coincidently when we made the lollies, my son was learning about freezing water to make ice, so this was a perfect way of teaching him the process of creating something that he enjoys eating. He was very excited as a result to see the process, however was quite anxious as the waiting time was too long (freezing time).

As mentioned I used the fruit I had at home at the time, however you can choose what ever combination you like and perhaps you could even add some herbs. I did this when I made some at my parents place after we went strawberry picking and added some fresh mint to the purée mix, it just adds an extra zing to the lollies. Another thing you can do with this lolly mixture is what I have done, place them in some ice cube trays and use as ice cubes for cocktails and punches.

Ingredients

Preparation time: 15 mins        Serves: 8 to 10

1 mango chopped

1/2 pineapple chopped

2 peaches chopped

2 kiwi fruits chopped into cubes

sugar to taste

Method

1) Purée all the fruit apart from the kiwi fruit in a hand blender, adding sugar to taste.

2) Once you have the correct taste then check to make sure the mixture is not too thick, you can add water at this point to make it a pouring consistency. Pour into the lolly moulds or ice cube trays and freeze for a few hours, enjoy on a lovely hot day.