I figured I would make a batch or two with the berries, then move on to something else. Maybe a marionberry crumb or crisp, but after the first test batch I knew this whole bag was spoken for. The ice pops were really, really, really good.
If you can find marionberries, the pops will be extraordinary, but even with regular blackberries they are incredibly good. These are adult pops. We've yet to adjust the recipe to make a zero proof ice pop, but if you want to go that route, we would start by replacing the rum with water, then increasing the lime juice or simple syrup if necessary.
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 c fresh or frozen (thawed out) Blackberries
• 1/2 c fresh Lime Juice
• 1/2 c Rum
• 1/2 c Water
• 3/4 c 2:1 Simple Syrup (2 parts sugar:1 part water)
• Several hearty dashes of Bitters of your choice (we usually use orange bitters)
• 20-25 Lrg Mint Leaves
Directions:
1. If using wooden ice pop sticks, soak sticks for an hour in warm water before making pops (helps keep them from floating up when inserted into molds.)
2. If using frozen berries, place them in a blender, food processor, or in a bowl using an immersion blender. Allow to sit at room temperature until thawed.
3. Combine all of the rest of the ingredients with the thawed blackberries. Pulse until the mint is fairly well chopped up.
4. Taste for sweetness and add more simple syrup if necessary (it should be a touch too sweet as it will lose sweetness after freezing.)
5. Pour ice pop base into molds and insert sticks. Freeze for about 4 hours or until completely solid.
6. Unmold before serving (run warm water around mold if necessary to help it release.)
If you are the seed free - no-pulp type of person, strain the mix through a fine mesh sieve before pouring into molds.
