Summer Berries Lollies from The Seasonal Vegan
Natural ice lollies for warm days are ideal to make or buy, as alternatives to conventional brands that are packed with chemicals and sweeteners. All you need is an ice lolly mould. Keep lollies away from pets and young children (some conventional brands contain the toxic sweetener xylitol, others have chocolate and nuts, and lolly sticks are choking hazards).
If you are vegan or vegetarian, homemade and organic lollies are free from artificial dyes (these can contain red/pink dyes from insects or blue dyes from goodness knows where – liable to send your hyperactive child’s tongue blue). Some people suggest that crops pollinated by bees (melon, kiwi, figs, avocado, almonds, squash) are not vegan-friendly but that’s when using big companies use migratory bee-keeping (harvesting without leaving food for wildlife). So choose local farms that hand-harvest.
- Fresh Thinking Co’s Silicone ice lolly makers and Eddington’s Ice Cream Lolly Moulds are both made from sand-based silicone. This does use fossil fuels to make (and is not biodegradable). But unlike plastic, it lasts years and does not break down so quickly to microplastics. Dishwasher-safe. Use with fresh fruit, vegan yoghurt (‘milk lollies’) or fill with mint and lime, for gin-and-tonic ice cubes!
- Onxy Stainless Steel Ice Lolly Moulds are sold in a set of 6, including bamboo sticks and silicone rings. Dishwasher-safe to last a lifetime, just dip in room temperate water, for the ice lollies to release.
- Lickalix makes organic lollies in compostable packaging. Free from gluten, dairy, lactose and nuts; strawberry lemonade, citrus burst, mango raspberry swirl, natural cola, oh so berry or simply chocolate.
A Book of Natural Iced Treats
Icy, Creamy, Healthy Sweet is packed with natural (mostly vegan) options and you can use plant-based alternatives to honey to sweeten. There are recipes for Whole Fruit Pops (coconut water and fresh local fruits), Cucumber and Mexican Dark Chocolate with Rose Petals. Also find recipes for granitas, shakes, floats, ice-creams and slushies.
