Yellow Watermelon & Mint Pops

Combine the sugar and 3/4 cup (180 ml) water in a medium saucepan. Bring them to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer until the syrup is lightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the mint sprigs, and let the pan stand, uncovered, until the syrup is completely cooled.

Drain the syrup in a wire sieve over a bowl, squeezing the mint between your fingertips to extract the very last drops; discard the mint.

Purée the watermelon in a food processor or blender. (If you wish, leave some of the watermelon in tiny chunks that are small enough to fit into the mold.)

Pour the purée into a bowl. Stir in enough of the mint syrup to make a very sweet mixture (see Tips). Stir in the sliced mint. Divide the purée evenly among the eight ice pop molds, leaving a little clearance at the top of each mold to allow for expansion. Cover the molds with the lids (adding wooden sticks, if needed).

Freeze the pops until they are solid, at least 4 hours. (The pops can be frozen for up to 1 week.) To serve, run the bottom of the molds briefly under lukewarm water and unmold.

Tips from the Pros

Perfect Pops People's Pops

Here are some tips to making the most of your frozen pops: There are many different options for ice pop molds, in various shapes and with our without handles. If your molds require wooden sticks for handles, be sure to buy a sufficient quantity so you don't run short. You'll find them at craft shops. The amount of syrup added to the fruit purée will change according to the fruit's natural sweetness, so adjust it as necessary. The fruit mixture pop will seem less sweet when eaten.The pops will expand slightly when frozen, so leave some headroom at the top of each mold.

Reprinted with permission from Chelsea Market Cookbook: 100 Recipes from New York's Premier Indoor Food Hall by Michael Phillips with Rick Rodgers. Text copyright © 2013 Jamestown Premier Chelsea Market L.P.; photography copyright © 2013 Jennifer May. Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang.