Crooked Stick Pops: Real Fruit, Local Flavor!
by Matt Mahoney
Popsicles! When craving a cold, tasty treat on a hot summer day, they are one of our favorite options—and we’re not alone! Billions of these frozen treats are consumed each year globally in countless flavors and styles ranging from the classic “ice” pops to sorbet pops, flavor-and-cream pops, and more. With all of the different popsicle types out there, we certainly have plenty of choices available to us. But, few of them can tout being made with real ingredients. Even fewer still can say they are made with locally grown ingredients, which is why we feel lucky to be “treated” to such a rare delight right here in Western Massachusetts thanks to Crooked Stick Pops!
(Image: Facebook/Crooked Stick Pops)
Crooked Stick Pops is owned and operated by popmaster extraordinaire Julie Tuman, whose clever idea for a small-batch, handcrafted popsicle containing just a few simple ingredients has captured the hearts and taste buds of the local “pop”–ulation in just a few short years on the market. And for great reasons! Their popsicles are absolutely jam-packed with fruit, much of it locally grown wherever possible: local blueberries, local peaches, local strawberries. They also source local cream for their “and cream” varieties, and local maple syrup for their marvelous maple pear pop!
(Image: Facebook/Crooked Stick Pops)
Crooked Stick’s ingredients are also as simple as can be, containing no additives and very little sugar – only as much as is necessary to blend the fruit into a purée and mold it into the classic pop shape we know and love! The first ingredient in each pop is always fruit, not water or fruit concentrate. And the second ingredient? You guessed it: more fruit! It could also be cream, maple syrup, or coffee beans depending on the variety, followed by a citrus juice that Julie and her team juice and blend themselves from whole lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits. The end result is a pop that is so yummy and unique, it’s hard to even call it a “popsicle” in the traditional sense!
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Click play on the video above to check out our recent interview with Popmaster Julie as she whips up a batch of Crooked Stick's "Peaches & Cream" pops; they're a fan favorite! You'll learn how these amazing popsicles came to be, about the spirit of community values behind their creation, and why these sublime local treats continue to inspire the good in us all. And be sure to try a Crooked Stick Pop from the co-op the next time you shop… they are out of this world!
(Image: Facebook/Crooked Stick Pops)