Open a Gourmet Popsicle Business to Keep Up with the Pop Trend

Opening a Gourmet Popsicle Business

For many of us, cooks and customers alike, popsicles hold a dear place in our hearts, evoking the summer days of childhood spent outdoors, listening for the distinctive melody of the ice cream truck and celebrating its arrival. The heat of the summer would be alleviated with a sweet, frozen treat on a stick, whether fruity and colorful, or creamy and chocolatey. On the strength of this memory – of popsicles gone by – the frozen treat is finding its way in an updated and dressed-up version. Gourmet popsicles are all the rage right now.

Popsicle Catering: A Niche Operation

While many caterers will supply their own cakes, cookies, pies and other baked desserts for their catered affairs, very few of them will also be able to prepare gourmet popsicles in bulk without seriously expanding their operation. Instead, caterers are outsourcing their popsicle order requests to entrepreneurs who have set up an operation devoted solely to gourmet popsicles, so that these orders – which are becoming more and more popular every day – can be accommodated.

If you love to be around food, but becoming a full-service caterer seems too overwhelming, opening a home-based gourmet popsicle business may be just the solution. Look around – there are popsicle pop-ups everywhere and you can become part of the craze by introducing the grown-up version of this popular childhood treat to your customers. Gourmet “pop shops” are experimenting with liquor-spiked popsicles and slushies, and the artificially flavored, corn syrup-laden pops of childhood are giving way to ethnic variations that include whole fruits, naturally derived sweeteners, and other fresh ingredients. Popsicles, in their new incarnation, are an affordable, nostalgic indulgence that is bound to appeal to your customers in a big way.

Paletas vs. Popsicles

In the United States we generally consider popsicles to be the neon-colored frozen treats that are made of water, sugar and artificial fruit flavors. But in Latin American cultures, in general and Mexico in particular, ice pops are known as paletas (or “little sticks” in Spanish). Paletas are fresh-fruit ices, traditionally made with all natural ingredients. These frozen concoctions are much less sweet than the American pop, and they can be made from a variety of fresh ingredients including flowers, such as hibiscus, fruits such as pineapples, spices such as cinnamon or chili pepper and liquors. Sometimes Mexican-style paletas are dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with chopped nuts.

The ideal basis for your business is a combination of popsicle and paleta – a pop-leta or a palet-sicle, as it were. You can call them popsicles, to keep them familiar to your customer base, but you can add to their appeal by using natural ingredients, lowering the sugar content, and experimenting with a wide variety of flavor combinations.

Starting a Popsicle Business

As with every business, start out with a business plan which will guide you as to how to operate in the popsicle industry. You can start small – as a one-person operation or a family business with no hired help required from the outside. Research all types of popsicle companies – small and big – and learn the intricacies of the trade. Study the step-by-step process that you need to follow to produce significant quantities of delicious and healthy popsicles.

To get your business off the ground, you will need a two-pronged attack: equipment and recipes. The equipment you’ll need is: cheap plastic popsicle molds, a deep freezer chest, a bunch of clear plastic baggies, and popsicle sticks. These four items – that’s it – along with fresh ingredients (and the willingness to work long hours) – are all you need to get started. There is no reason to purchase a $10,000, state-of-the-art paleta machine until you know for sure that making gourmet popsicles is what you were meant to do. Later, when you start generating positive cash flow, you can buy better commercial stainless-steel popsicle molds and perhaps even that state-of-the-art Paletera machine you’ve been eyeing online.

You will also need recipes containing different varieties of popsicle flavors. Creativity is essential, so use an assortment of ingredients that you enjoy and don’t be afraid to experiment. Be bold, and let your imagination run wild.

Equipment for Your Gourmet Popsicle Business

Here is a detailed explanation of the equipment you will need to get your gourmet popsicle business off the ground:

• Popsicle molds: These come in several materials. Plastic is an affordable option, but it’s often the type with the shortest life span. Plastic molds can become scratched, cracked, and brittle, and clear plastic molds can stain or cloud after multiple uses and washes. Also, many models are not dishwasher safe. Silicone is thicker than plastic and more durable. Popsicles can usually be removed from this type of mold more easily, and these molds won’t crack. They tend to last longer than plastic too, meaning less money spent buying replacements. With time and success you will hopefully graduate to stainless steel molds, which are more expensive but last much longer.
• A freezer: You will need ample freezer space to store the popsicles, so a deep freezer – rather than a few shelves in your home freezer– would be preferable. Set your freezer to the coldest setting to set your treats quickly. The temperature should be 0°F, or as close to this as you can get. Water may freeze at 32°F, but it’s not cold enough to freeze alcohol or mixtures with a high sugar content.
• Dry-Ice Popsicle Cart: Paletas are often sold from street carts in which they are packed in dry ice. If you can find a cold-plate cart in which to transport your popsicles to events, it would be a big asset, although a bigger expense than you may have anticipated. A dry-ice cart can usually be purchased used, so take the time to scour the second-hand sites, like Craigslist.
• Blender and juicer: You should purchase the best and most durable blender that your money can buy, as this will be an oft-used piece of equipment. An electric juicer will come in handy, as well.
• A refrigerator big enough to store bulk fruit
• Popsicle sticks
• Zip top bags and a bag sealer
• A pitcher with a spout or a funnel to pour your mixture into the molds.

Another possible purchase is a popsicle maker that can freeze ice pops in minutes, right on your countertop. The term “maker” makes it sound as if these are small appliances, but they’re actually more like an ice cream-mixer attachment that’s filled with special freezing fluid, that doesn’t need to be plugged in. They come in different sizes but, although they’re quick, you would need more than one to produce a large quantity of pops. Molds are slower – they take at least 4 hours to freeze, with many requiring 6 hours in the freezer or longer before serving; however, you can invest in many molds for less money than it takes to purchase even an inexpensive popsicle maker.

How to Make Popsicles

To stay up-to-date with the pop trend, you should aim to combine the icy experience of the popsicle with the healthier aspects of paletas. Paleta flavors reach beyond the typical “red” or “blue” popsicle flavors that Americans have come to know, and they usually include natural ingredients.

To make this type of popsicle, first purée the base ingredients – the fruit or vegetable (yes!) of your choice – with a bit of water or fresh juice. Many paletas include the fruit chunks that remain after puréeing, but they could also be strained out at this point. Next the blend is spiked with spices and/or sugar, as needed, to make refreshing combos like chili-watermelon, strawberry-cinnamon, or tequila-lime. Finally the pops are frozen in molds with wooden sticks.

Depending on your recipe, total freezing time will vary. Recipes that contain alcohol often require colder temperatures to freeze, and if you add too much, they may not freeze firmly. Temperatures closer to 32°F will take longer to freeze ice pops than a sub-zero freezer chest. Of course, energy efficiency is important in the summertime, so you can try sticking to non-alcoholic blends and those made with less sugar (like yogurt-based pops).

Transporting Popsicles

If you are making a large quantity of pops, and have only a limited number of molds, you will have to unmold the pops as they freeze and transfer them to bags. The first thing you do is remove the frozen pops from the molds and wrap them tightly in plastic. Then place your wrapped pops in a zip-top bag, or layer on wax paper in a re-sealable storage container. When the time comes to bring your pop collection to the event, you can take them out of the bags and transfer them to a dry-ice cart for the best presentation. Alternatively, if an ice cart is not an option, pack your pops in a large cooler with dry ice. Fill up the cooler in a way that provides for the least amount of excess air; the more extra air, the warmer the temperature and that’s not what you want for your popsicles.

Start a Gourmet Popsicle Business

With a little patience and some creativity, you can start a gourmet popsicle business at home that will require relatively little initial financial investment. To make sure that people know about your business, get the word out through social media or perhaps even open a website. Advertise the all-natural ingredients and the healthiness of your homemade treats – and watch your business take off.