The Simple Trick For Opening Freezer Pops Without Scissors
Summer may be winding down in most of the U.S., but that doesn't mean there isn't still time for summer staples. Fireworks, Slip 'N Slides, and backflips off pontoon boats are all still very much on the table. As are the comestible delicacies of summer, such as barbecue, fresh heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, s'mores, and popsicles.
A stalwart of summer that helps beat the heat, popsicles have been around since 1905, reports NPR. A San Francisco lad by the name of Frank Epperson was mixing sweet soda powder and water with a wooden stirrer and for whatever reason left it outside on a night that dropped below freezing. Awakened to his icy beverage, he made the best of things and licked it right off the stick. Voila, a culinary classic was born.
Popsicles come in a galaxy of styles, with variations in flavor, texture, and even delivery method. There are classic, wooden-stick-borne popsicles, such as those sold by Popsicle, creamy, rich pudding pops, and even boozy popsicles that Business Insider points out contain more alcohol than a glass of wine.
One variety, though, that is an enduring sign of summer is the freezer pop, aka a freeze pop or freezie. Beloved as they are, freezer pops can be tricky to open. TikTok user Shelby Brazzell, though, seems to have stumbled on to a hack that makes opening a freezer pop true to its name.
It's a snap
With scissors nowhere to be found, Shelby Brazzell simply pops the freezer pop in half with one deft move. Instead of waiting to slice into one long treat, this method leaves you with two ready-to-eat segments. As of this writing, Brazzell's viral TikTok featuring the easiest technique to open the delicious treats has drawn replies from over 11,000 commenters.
Understandably, you might be wondering, where these denizens of the freezer come from. According to Jel Sert, the stickless tubes of frozen, fruit-flavored sugar water or juice were originally created by Pop-Ice, a company that Jel Sert acquired in 1963. The product proved so popular that Jel Sert rolled out a second variety, Fla-Vor-Ice, in 1969. In 1996, Jel Sert acquired competitor Otter Pops, one of the most prominently featured brands of popsicles sold today.
While Brazzell's snappy little trick might be new to some at the moment, that isn't to say that the internet isn't rife with other hacks for freezer pops. YouTube channel Young Wild Me! Family notes that storing freezer pops flat can lead to waste. Instead, she advises storing them upright. According to the YouTuber, this allows popsicle aficionados to avoid wasting the top section of the treat when opening it. There's also a hack by YouTuber MiiBooth for popsicles that don't melt in the heat. Spoiler alert: the secret is gelatin.