These fresh plum popsicles are made with a variety called pluots, and the color and flavor of these juicy pops is unrivaled. They’re one of the true treasures of summer!
Pluots, apriums, and plumcots are hybrids of plums and apricots, and they’re just fantastic. It used to be that you’d only find them in farmers markets, but now they’re showing up in supermarkets all over the country. They combine the juiciness and rich colors of plums with the firmer flesh and and more pronounced flavors of apricots. Dinosaur Eggs are one of the many varieties of pluots, and one of the most spectacular, with a mottled green exterior and a fuchsia pink inside.
These aren’t genetically modified or anything like that, they’ve been cross bred just like gardeners and farmers have been doing for generations and the results have been fabulous. Here’s the breakdown…
- PLUOT: 1/4 apricot, 3/4 plum
- APRIUM: 3/4 apricot, 1/4 plum
- PLUMCOT: 1/2 apricot, 1/2 plum
Our farmer’s market has a huge array of them out for tasting all summer long. These have intense fresh fruity flavor, and every variety of pluot, etc, will be a little different in color and taste, so experiment and find your favorite.
When you’ve finished with these you might like to try some of my other healthy whole fruit pops:
Pluots and their cousins are VERY juicy, so it can be messy to try to bite right into them. I often slice mine in wedges first, but making them into popsicles is an even cooler solution 🙂
Dinosaur Egg Popsicles and other wonders of summer
Ingredients
- 8 pluots, of any variety
- 2 Tbsp sugar, or to taste
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Cut each pluot in half and then give them a rough chop. Add them to the bowl of a food processor along with the sugar and the lemon juice. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the machine if necessary.
- Transfer the puree to a measuring up with a spout and fill your popsicle molds.
- Insert sticks and freeze until solid.
- To remove, fill your sink with hot tap water and immerse the mold up to, but not over, the top lip for just a few second. If the popsicles are still stuck, immerse for a few more seconds.
- Store well wrapped in the freezer.
notes:
- Chose ripe but firm pluots, softness indicates they’re over ripe.
- Like all stone fruit, pluots are only available during the summer season, so enjoy them while you can.
- To open a pluot, slice in half with a sharp serrated knife, and then twist the two halves apart. These aren’t ‘freestone’ fruits, meaning the pit will be stuck in one half, and you will have to slice around it.
don’t forget to pin it!
I am eating one of these as I type, and it is spectacularly good! I didn’t buy enough pluots, so I filled in with apricots I had happened to buy. These are definitely on my list of keeper recipes and I’ll be making them again real soon. And not sharing with my husband… ?
I haven’t seen pluots yet in the market or even farmer’s market yet, Susan, so I like your idea of substituting apricots, which I have seen!
I’ve now made a second batch with all pluots, and ended up with enough to make 8 popsicles. Absolutely wonderful!
Yay! It’s a great start to summer popsicle making 🙂
I’ve never heard of dinosaur eggs let alone tasted them but I sure do need to get my hands on some now. Wow, so rich and juicy. Love your popsicle collection, Sue!
Look at that bright color! Love the unique flavor!
I love the color, Sue! I’m a fan of everything stone fruit. I need to try these soon!
These beautiful guys haven’t really hit the East coast yet but I will be waiting for them. They sounds wonderful and look amazing!
I think they were developed here in California, Chris. You can substitute plums for a similar flavor 🙂
Love the color Sue, will be looking out for these amazing fruits.
The colors are amazing, Cheri!