Orange creamsicle or minty watermelon? Homemade popsicles are healthier than in the freezer aisle

By Albert Stumm | The Associated Press This undated image shows a variety of homemade popsicles made with natural sweeteners by Jessica Gavin, a certified culinary scientist. (Jessica Gavin via AP)(AP) – One sweltering summer in Southern California, Jessica Gavin was looking for a healthy, cooling treat for her then 2-year-old son.Gavin, a food science expert who wrote “Easy Culinary Science for Better Cooking,” knew that even brands of healthy-looking popsicles often come filled with artificial colors and flavors, stabilizers and preservatives.So she made her own. Seven years and one daughter later, it’s become a family tradition.“It’s fun because you can make it with your kids,” said Gavin. “It’s something that you could kind of just throw together and enjoy within a few hours.”Her popsicle flavors sound as if they could have come out of a gourmet grocery store: minty watermelon, peach-strawberry yogurt, blackberry lemon and orange-mango coconut. The difference is that each has five or fewer ingredients — and no high-fructose corn syrup.Most of her recipes mix pureed fruit with either Greek yogurt or coconut milk, plus a little honey depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Gavin suggested tasting the mixture for sweetness before adding honey.For her homemade...