Popsicles relieve heat of the day

When I first came to Hawaii and discovered its hiking spots, I fell in love with overgrown strawberry guava forests lining every mountainside. I know now that those invading trees are choking out native flora, and their foreign presence is at once a juxtaposition of repulsive and enchanting.

In September, the trails are thick with the rotting guava, or waiawi, and fruit flies cloud the path. I’ve eaten handfuls of overripe fruit and taken home bagsfull for later. The fruit never keeps well after picking, which I learned after they turned soft on the counter one hot afternoon. So we would process them quickly, blending them with coconut and ice cubes. Their soft pink color in smoothies is a cheery, creamy reminder of the end of a sweltering season.

In fact, anyone who thinks there aren’t seasons here just isn’t observant. In Hawaii, September is the cruelest month. It’s when we hit a spot of calm winds and dead-heat humidity. Meanwhile, there’s the deception of fall on the horizon, with mainland-based chain stores displaying cool-weather apparel like jackets and boots in mocking fashion. And here I am, sweating through my second outfit of the day. September is summer revival.

I didn’t make any ice pops during the delegated summer months this year. Perhaps it’s because I was too busy consuming mangos and watermelon to be bothered with freezing them. Or maybe the desperation of coping with summer heat doesn’t really hit until September. So I’m making up for it now, especially with the discovery of sweetened condensed milk as an ice-pop sweetener.

Ice pops can range from ice cubes to sorbet soft. Sugar makes them a little softer, and fat from cream improves the texture. Sweetened condensed milk provides both qualities, especially because the sugar is already dissolved and not grainy.

This recipe could be adapted to almost any berry, guava or lilikoi. Avocado, even. Maybe these are all just really good reasons to eat sweetened condensed milk.

STRAWBERRY GUAVA POPS

• 1/2 cup whole strawberry guavas
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• >> Optional chocolate glaze
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Blend strawberry guava with water, spinning until fruit is pureed, but don’t let seeds get too pulverized. Strain out seeds by scraping puree through a small wire sieve. Return puree to blender and add condensed milk and lime juice. Blend several more seconds.

Pour liquid into molds and freeze several hours.

If using glaze, make before removing popsicles from molds. In microwave-safe bowl, combine chips and oil. Microwave 30 seconds and stir thoroughly 30 seconds, until chocolate is smooth and liquidy. If needed, microwave 5 more seconds and stir again.

Remove pops from molds and either drizzle with chocolate or dip pops into chocolate. Let pops rest a few seconds until chocolate hardens to a shell consistency. Serve immediately. Makes 6, depending on size of your mold.

Nutritional information unavailable.

For another version of an ice pop, made in paper cups with fresh mango and evaporated milk, see “By Request” from Sept. 6 at 808ne.ws/mangoicepop. Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at thelittlefoodie.com. Her column runs on the last Wednesday of the month. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.