Moms Gear: Make quick and healthy fruit popsicles for you and the kids

Maggie O'Neill

Being able to freeze a popsicle to readiness in seven minutes should appeal to any mom, but especially those wanting to provide a fruit-based treat in practically no time at all.

The Zoku Quick Pop Maker allows users to do just that. Moms can have popsicles of any kind ready for their kids within a short time after the mixture has been poured into the mold. Of course, it's up to the mom to decide what to use for the mix. Ideas can come from the Zoku Quick Pops Recipe Book (which costs extra) or the fruits and ingredients available in your kitchen.

To avoid frustration, be sure to follow the instructions to the tiniest detail. Try using store-bought apple juice to experiment with the product at the start. After gaining the feel for how to effectively remove the popsicles from the mold, you can advance to more complex ingredients. Two pieces of advice: be sure the sticks are sitting straight in the mold, and do not pour the liquid past the fill line.

The kit allows users to freeze three popsicles at a time, but actually comes with six reusable popsicle sticks. The second set of popsicles will also freeze quickly, but can take slightly longer than seven minutes to reach serving time.

The Zoku Quick Pop Maker is available for $49.95 from http://www.zokuhome.com. The full-color recipe book, including more than 40 recipes like the "Chocolate Buzz" and "That's a S'more" is $16.95. Additional accessories are available online.