Refreshing and soothing, these Honey Chamomile Popsicles are quick and easy to make using fresh or dried chamomile.
Have you made popsicles?
When Summer hits, I want to make sure the freezer is stocked with frozen treats so I can grab something refreshing when the mood strikes. I finally took the plunge and bought a popsicle mold this Summer. I thought I’d never use it, that it would set on a shelf taking up valuable real estate in my kitchen.
I was wrong. I didn’t realize how much they’d be enjoyed.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been churning out popsicles; some boozie, others not. Popsicles can be made relatively quickly and the flavors are endless. They are incredibly refreshing, especially after an afternoon of hiking, exploring the beach, working or….
pulling weeds in the garden of weedin.
Chamomile has been close to my heart for a long time. A cup of chamomile tea is soothing, relaxing and therapeutic. I started growing chamomile several years ago simply because they are such beautiful, fragrant plants and I enjoy watching their daily cycles with the sun.
Shortly after sunrise, their flowers open up to welcome pollinators and the brushing of my fingers against their soft leaves and petals. Their beauty and fragrance is uplifting. As the sun sets, chamomile flowers wilt down only to reopen the next day to carry on their bloom cycle. They are fragrant beyond compare and, they make me happy.
It wasn’t until last year however, that I started harvesting the flowers for fresh Chamomile tea. They can be dried, yet I tend to enjoy them while at peak of bloom.
The flowers regenerate quickly although I always leave some for pollinators and for running my fingers through.
Chamomile not only adds beauty to our lives, but it also has healing benefits. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, aids in digestion, and promotes relaxation.
Then there’s honey which I consider a treat. Fortunately there are several local bee keepers who bring their honey harvests to the farmers market. Like chamomile, honey has many benefits. It is antibacterial, anti-fungal, and soothes a sore throat.
Beyond honey’s health benefits, it’s the bees that deserve a closer look. Honey bees travel over 55,000 miles and visit two million flowers to produce one pound of honey.
They are responsible for pollinating many food crops in the US; about one out of every three bites of food for us. They have a big job; just one reason for awareness of their and other pollinators’ sharp decline and what we need to do, as individuals, to shift this trend.
After looking at several different popsicle molds, I finally settled on one like the Frozen Ice Pop Maker. It makes ten and if I need more, I slide the frozen popsicles into a large lidded container, layer the pops with parchment paper so they don’t stick together, then make another batch.
I love having these stocked in the freezer. And who doesn’t like to be handed a refreshing popsicle?
I’ve been collecting popsicle recipes on Pinterest to feed my popsicle obsession. Here’s a few drool worthy favorites:
Mango Raspberrry Bellini Popsicles – Salted Plains
Strawberry Green Tea Popsicles – A Cookie Named Desire
Raspberry Cheesecake Popsicles – Port and Fin
Bourbon White Peach Popsicles – The Beach House Kitchen
Blueberry Ginger Coconut Cheesecake Popsicles – Floating Kitchen
the recipe
Honey Chamomile Popsicles
Ingredients
- 3 C Water 590g
- 1/3 C Raw Local Honey 104g
- 4 Tea Bags of Chamomile Tea or 1/4 C + 1 Tbs Fresh Chamomile Flowers, 6g
Instructions
- In a small saucepot bring water to just under a boil. Remove from heat and stir in honey. Add tea bags or flowers, place lid on pot and steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain if using fresh flowers. Fill popsicle molds, leaving about an 1/8" (3mm) head room at the top. Wipe the top of the mould dry, place lid on popsicles and insert the popsicle sticks. Freeze overnight or at least eight hours.
- To release the pops, I turn the mold on its side and run water over the the mold on both sides. I usually have to pry the lid off, wedging a fork in between the lid and mold, especially if I forgot to dry the top of the mold off before freezing. Gently wiggle the popsicle stick to remove the popsicle... be careful here, as I've broken the stick several times.
Notes
Thank you for reading! If you make this recipe, be sure to post it to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter notify me @vanillaandbean and tag #vanillaandbean! I’d love to see what you’ve made! Follow me on Pinterest, too, for even more deliciousness!
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