How to: make fruit ice-blocks

When it’s sweltering outside and the kids need some cool relief, homemade fruity ice-blocks are the answer. When they’ve been demolished, ask the children to help make a new batch, ready for the next hot afternoon.

Lemon iceblocks

Melaleuca says these taste just like lemon sorbet! Dissolve ½ cup of sugar in an equal amount of boiling water. Mix in the juice of six lemons. Pour into ice block moulds and pop into the freezer. Get fancy by adding a mint leaf to each popsicle. (Do this with orange, mandarin or grapefruit juice as well, adjusting the sugar as needed.)

Melon popsicles

Cut a half a seeded rockmelon into chunks and blitz it to a puree in a food processor. Add a little water or coconut water, then pour into moulds and freeze.

Berry breezers

Blitz strawberries, raspberries or a combination of both. Test for sweetness, remembering that freezing reduces the intensity of sweetness so juice needs to taste really sweet when liquid to taste sweet when frozen. Pour into moulds and freeze. Surprisingly, basil is a perfect accompaniment to strawberries. Simply shred a few leaves and add them to the mould.

Watermelon coolers

Blend watermelon flesh into liquid. Pour. Freeze. A little shredded mint added to each mould is delicious.