The summers are incomplete without ice creams and popsicles. However, many people don’t like commercially available popsicles as they have chemicals and additives which are harmful to their health. For this reason, people make popsicles at home, which are basically frozen liquid on a stick. The popsicle sticks are wide and long and are put into the popsicle molds with the liquid that has to be frozen. However, if you don’t have access to popsicle sticks and want to make your own popsicles, there are various popsicle stick substitutes that you can try!
Popsicle Stick Substitutes
- Craft Sticks
If you are unable to get your hands on the popsicle sticks, you can use the craft sticks. These are multipurpose tools that can be used to make popsicles. The craft sticks are made from high-quality wood and are machine-manufactured, which means the wooden sticks are the same size. The best thing about craft sticks is that they are available in multiple colors and sizes, so you can use the sticks according to the popsicle flavor you are making. The craft sticks are available in packets, and one packet has over 50 sticks, depending on the packet size.
- Plastic Spoons
The second option is to use plastic spoons as they are usually lying around in the kitchen drawers. That’s because the plastic spoons work great as spoons for homemade popsicles. So, if you have these plastic spoons lying around, we recommend that you put the spoon end into the liquid as the stick side will be out, making it easier to hold the popsicle once it’s frozen. On the contrary, if you don’t have plastic spoons at home, you can purchase them from nearby grocery stores.
- Toothpicks
It’s needless to say that toothpicks are small and cannot manage the size of normal-sized popsicles. For this reason, we recommend that you use toothpicks to make mini popsicles. To illustrate, you can add the popsicle liquid into the ice cube tray, put in the toothpicks, and freeze them. Once they are frozen, the toothpick that remains outside can be used as a stick – the popsicles frozen on the toothpicks make a great addition to cocktails and mocktails.
- Straws
Another option that you can use to make popsicles is straws. What we love about this substitute is that there are different types of straws available, including strong plastic straws, metal straws, and thick paper straws. We recommend that you don’t use paper straws as popsicle liquid can soften the paper, which means they won’t be able to hold the weight of the popsicles. On the other hand, the plastic and metal straws are available in multiple colors, which means you can select the color according to the popsicle flavor you are making.
- Wooden Skewers
If you like to cook and grill regularly, it’s needless to say that you would have wooden skewers at home, and fortunately, they can be used as an alternative for popsicle sticks. For the longest time, people have been using these wooden skewers for kabobs, but since they are strong, they can hold the weight of popsicles. In addition, you can cut down the skewers according to the size of the popsicle molds.
Tips To Avoid The Falling Of The Popsicle Stick In The Popsicle Mold
If you are making popsicles on your own, you will notice that the popsicle stick will top over when you stick it directly into the center of the mold. The popsicle mold won’t be able to keep the upright standing of the stick. So, let’s see how you can ensure straight standing of the popsicle stick in the mold;
- The first method is to cover the filled molds with high-quality plastic wrap and poke the sticks through the wrap. The plastic sheet will ensure that the stick remains in place.
- The second method is to put the stick into the liquid once the liquid has been chilling for a few hours. It will ensure that the popsicle liquid has a slushy consistency to ensure that the popsicle stick will remain in place. Once you add the sticks, put the mold into the freezer and make sure the popsicles are fully frozen before you take them out.