The Secret Ingredient To Give Homemade Popsicles Better Texture

When the calendar flips to summer and the temperatures rise, there is nothing quite as refreshing and delightful as indulging in a cold, flavored popsicle. Kids and adults alike enjoy these frozen sweet treats and the best part is that they are easy to make at home. The next time you decide to craft your own homemade popsicles, don't forget the secret ingredient that will improve their texture — guar gum.

Used as a stabilizer for frozen foods including ice cream, as well as a binder and natural thickening agent in products such as yogurt, gravy, and sauces, guar gum comes from a type of legume primarily grown in India and Pakistan, though it's also cultivated in the U.S. Guar gum is extracted from the guar bean and manufactured into a powder, that when incorporated into popsicles serves as a stabilizing agent that enhances its thickness and creaminess. In both popsicles and ice cream guar gum can also help prevent these chilled desserts from melting as fast.

Due to its stabilization properties, guar gum can further better the texture of frozen homemade pops by helping decrease the formation of ice and ice crystals thereby keeping them creamy. You don't need a lot of this ingredient to have an impact, with some recipes recommending a mere 1⁄4 tablespoon of guar gum for every four cups of fruit. Others call for a ½ teaspoon for every 12 ounces of popsicle mixture, or the equivalent of six molds. This method of improving texture shouldn't affect the taste of your popsicles as guar gums are typically flavorless and odorless.

Another great reason to use guar gum in your homemade popsicles is because it is gluten-free. With so many people these days who either can't eat gluten due to a health condition such as celiac disease or are looking to curtail their gluten intake for dietary reasons, it's an added bonus. Sometimes, the hardest part in preparing homemade popsicles can be deciding on which flavors to make, but whichever you choose remember to add guar gum for a thicker and smoother texture.