Wisdom Teeth 3–Melon popsicles

When you tire of ice cream (or among the 80 percent of adults who can’t digest milk), popsicles are a welcome alternative. They’re cold and don’t require chewing.

On the other hand, commercial popsicles can be very, very sweet and flavors like lemon, loaded with citric acid, can be a painful experience.

Popsicles are having a bit of gourmet moment right now–in other words, Gourmet magazine put out a page on boozy ones and Martha Stewart’s getting weirdly fancy.

These melon ones are inspired by the food magazines, but are very, very simple to make. Also no-fat, low-cal and mostly natural. More importantly for the sore-gummed, melons are non-fibrous, don’t have tiny-little seeds and are low in acid.

The following recipe makes about six small popsicles, or four servings of melon granita. Not sure how may ice cubes it makes.

1/2 a cantaloupe, honeydew or other sweet melon or about 3 slices off half a watermelon.

2T to 4 T sugar, prefarably extra fine

one lime

3 to 4 mint sprigs

dash of salt.

Seed and chop melon into large chunks. Put chunks and juice in blender. If melon is very sweet add the smallest amount of sugar, more if needed.

Add juice of half a lime. Taste. if it tastes great., stop. If melon is bland, add rest of lime and pinch of salt.

Take mint leaves from sprigs, chop roughly and add to blender. Pulse mixture until melon has liquefied and the mint leaves are tiny little bits.

Pour into molds and freeze at least three to four hours.

If feeling fancing, mixture can be poured into bowl, frozen and stirred every 30 minutes for granita. In which, serve with a mint sprig for decoration.

If desperate and lacing popsicle molds, small paper cups and yogurt containers work. After 30 minutes add popsicle sticks or even spoons.

Run under warm water to release from molds.