LICK THE SUMMER HEAT CHILL OUT WITH HOMEMADE POPS AND GRANITAS.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Cool it and beat the summer heat. What better way than with homemade, icy, frozen pops and granitas stashed in your freezer. Whip them up in advance and pull them out to take the sizzle out of a hot day.

Supermarket freezer sections are bulging with an array of frozen novelty items. Manufacturers continue to introduce new flavors and items in hopes of capturing the attention of kids of all ages.

Some are zany and feature licensed characters like Rugrats, Power Rangers and Flintstones. Others products have partnered with comics, monster movies and cable networks offering innovative, intense flavors, and slimy and gooey textures and styles for appeal.

Among new items found in freezer sections this year are Ocean Spray Fruit Juice Bars in cranberry, cran-grape and cran-raspberry flavors; Popsicle Lick-A-Color (ice pop changes color and flavor as it is licked) in more intense flavors such as blue raspberry, strawberry-cherry and lemon-lime; Popsicle Nickelodeon Green Slim Icepops (new sour lemon-line centers with blue raspberry, watermelon and strawberry ice shells); Nestle's Lickety Slicks Gel Pops; and Popsicle Fantastic Fruity! Real Fruit Juice Pops in new fruit combinations including kiwi-strawberry, Caribbean blue fruit punch and tropical orange.

The sales of frozen novelties (available in supermarkets, convenience stores and other venues) topped $2.3 billion (for the 52-week period ending July 7, 2001), up 8.9 percent from the same period a year ago, according to ACNielsen Convenience Track. Frozen novelty products include stick items (fruit pops, Fudgesicles, Creamsicles, yogurt pops, etc.), sandwiches, stickless ice cream bars, cones, cups and specialty items.

Kids' products, the hottest part of the market, tempt children 2-7 to eat 19 frozen pops per year, while youngsters 8-12 ease off a bit with only 13 confections, notes Arnie Schwartz, vice president, NPD Group in Chicago.

Although frozen novelties are consumed year 'round, more than 70 percent are sold in spring and summer months.

If you're a devotee of a variety of fruit bars, some with fruit purees, fruit juices, cream, yogurts, sugar and the like, you're well aware that they're not inexpensive.

So why not cut costs and try them at home? It's easy to turn out a variety of delicious frozen creations with luscious fruit flavors without much hassle. Although they won't have jazzy, offbeat names, they're bound to appeal. Let the kids make their own. You can control what goes into them, using little or no sugar and the types of juices, fruits and yogurts that you prefer.

For those desiring something a bit more sophisticated (and not eaten from a stick), there are granitas. Think of them as snow cones for adults - they have a slightly granular final texture. For cool elegance, serve them in stemmed glasses.

They take more work than pops as they need to be stirred frequently during the freezing process.

Called ``granita'' in Italy and ``granite'' in France, they require a mixture of water, sugar and liquid flavoring such as fruit juice, wine or coffee that's frozen into a slush consistency. Granitas are usually far less sweet than creamier sorbets.

Also included is a grown-up cocktail pop (with tequila) that's punched up to taste like a strawberry margarita. It's flavored with plenty of fresh berries and is designed for adults who still enjoy being kids.

BASIC FROZEN FRUIT POPS

1/4 cup orange OR other fruit juice (OR water)

1/2 envelope unflavored gelatin 

2 cups pureed fruit

2 to 3 tablespoons sugar (OR more to taste) OR use sugar substitute to taste (optional)

Combine orange juice and gelatin in a large microwaveable glass bowl. Heat in microwave oven on high power 30 to 45 seconds, stirring once, until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in fruit and sugar to taste. Pour into 3- or 5-ounce drinking cups or plastic ice pop molds and freeze until firm. If using cups, cover with foil, make a slit in the center of foil with a knife tip and insert wooden stick or spoon. Freeze until firm, 2 to 4 hours or longer. Makes about 2 cups or 4 (5-ounce) pops or 6 (3-ounce) pops.

NOTE: For ease in handling, fill drinking cups only 3/4 cup full.

BASIC YOGURT FRUIT POPS

1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat plain OR vanilla-flavored yogurt

1 cup pureed fresh strawberries, peaches, nectarines, pears, apricots, etc. (also try part banana mixed with a little lemon juice)

2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

Mix together all ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Turn into 3- or 5-ounce drinking or plastic ice pop molds. If using cups, cover with foil, make a slit in the center of the foil with a knife tip and insert wooden stick or spoon. Freeze until firm, about 6 to 7 hours. Makes about 4 to 5 (5-ounce) pops or 6 to 7 (3-ounce) pops.

ORANGE-YOGURT POPS

1 cup orange juice

1 (3-ounce) package orange flavored gelatin

1/4 cup light corn syrup 

2 cups plain low-fat yogurt

In a microwaveable glass bowl, combine orange juice, gelatin and corn syrup. Heat in microwave oven on high power 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring once until gelatin dissolves. Stir yogurt until smooth. Whisk into orange mixture until smooth. Pour into 8 (5-ounce) paper cups. Cover with foil or plastic wrap. Place in freezer; freeze until slushy, about 1 hour. Insert wooden stick in center of each cup; freeze until firm, 1 to 3 hours. To serve, peel off paper. Makes 8 (5-ounce) cups.

BERRY CREAMY FRUIT POPS

2 1/2 cups whole frozen strawberries (without sugar and hulls removed - about 1/2 of a 20-ounce bag frozen strawberries) OR raspberries

1/2 cup whipping cream 

1/2 cup nonfat milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons sugar

Puree frozen berries in a food processor fitted with steel blade and process until in small pieces. Add cream, milk, vanilla and sugar and process until slushy. Turn into 3- or 5-ounce paper drinking cups, filling about 2/3 full. Insert wooden sticks or plastic spoons. Freeze until firm, 3 to 4 hours. Makes about 4 or 5 (5-ounce) pops.

RASPBERRY, STRAWBERRY AND ORANGE GRANITA 

1 cup orange juice

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 (16-ounce) container fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and quartered (about 3 1/2 cups)

2 (1/2-pint) baskets fresh raspberries, rinsed

Combine orange juice, water, honey, sugar and orange peel in a blender.

Add 1/2 of strawberries and 1/2 of raspberries; puree until almost smooth. Add remaining berries; puree until smooth.

Pour mixture out onto a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Freeze until edges are icy and center is slushy, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir icy edges into slushy center. Freeze granita until solid, stirring every 45 minutes, about 3 1/2 hours longer.

Using fork, scrape granita down length of pan, forming icy flakes. Cover and freeze at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Spoon granita into glasses. Makes 8 servings.

From Bon Appetit magazine, August 2001.

COFFEE GRANITA

4 cups hot, freshly brewed espresso OR strong coffee

1/2 cup sugar

In a medium bowl, combine espresso and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Set aside to cool. Pour into a 9-inch round or square baking dish. Freeze until mixture becomes slushy around edges, about 30 minutes. Stir to break up ice crystals. Continue freezing, stirring mixture every 20 minutes, until it is slushy, about 1 hour. Makes 1 quart, about 4 servings.

From ``Gelato! Italian Ice Creams, Sorbetti & Granite'' by Pamela Sheldon Johns, Ten Speed Press.

CANTALOUPE GRANITA

4 cups chopped cantaloupe

1 1/3 cups Asti Spumante (Italian sparkling wine) OR water

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Puree cantaloupe in a food processor; transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients; stir to dissolve sugar.

Pour mixture into a 9-inch square metal baking pan. Freeze mixture until partially set, whisking twice, about 2 hours. Freeze uncovered without whisking until completely set, at least 3 hours or overnight. Run tines of fork across surface of granita to form icy flakes. Cover with foil; freeze until ready to serve or up to 2 days. Mound granita in 6 ice-cold martini glasses. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

From Bon Appetit magazine, August 2001.

LEMON GRANITA

Lemon granita is one of the Italian classics, simple and refreshing. For an interesting presentation, serve in hollowed-out lemon halves.

2 cups spring water

1 cup sugar

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Pour into a 9-inch round or square baking dish. Freeze until mixture becomes slushy around edges, about 30 minutes. Stir to break up ice crystals. Continue freezing, stirring mixture every 20 minutes, until it is slushy, about 1 hour. Makes 1 quart; about 4 servings.

From ``Gelato! Italian Ice Creams, Sorbetti & Granite'' by Pamela Sheldon Johns, Ten Speed Press.

STRAWBERRY MARGARITA ICE POPS

Adults will enjoy these. To make these ice pops nonalcoholic, substitute freshly squeezed orange juice for the tequila.

1 1/4 pounds strawberries, rinsed, hulled and halved

1/2 cup white tequila

1/2 cup superfine granulated sugar 

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth, then force through a fine sieve into a large glass measuring cup. Pour into 8 (1/3-cup) ice pop molds and add wooden sticks. Freeze at least 24 hours. Makes 8 (1/3-cup) ice pops.

From Gourmet magazine, August 2000.

RASPBERRY GRANITA/ICE POPS

3/4 cup water

3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) sugar

2 cups raspberries

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Place water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is just dissolved, then allow mixture to come to a boil. Allow to boil exactly 5 minutes, then turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Rinse raspberries and pat dry. Place in a food processor or blender and puree.

Place lemon juice in a large bowl. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sieve raspberry puree into bowl (with lemon juice) and mix. Once sugar mixture is cooled, add to raspberry mixture.

To make frozen pops, pour mixture into pop molds and freeze until set.

To make granita, pour mixture into a square mold (a loaf pan works well). Freeze for about 45 minutes, then remove container from freezer and scrape down any ice particles that have formed into rest of mixture. Repeat procedure every half hour or so, until the result is a rough slush. Once the mixture has reached that consistency, cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill until it is ready to serve. Makes 8 frozen pops and 3 cups granita.

From Long Beach Press Telegram.

Making tip-top pops

Here are some tips for success in making homemade frozen pops.

Fruit juices can be frozen into pops without added ingredients. We opted not to add sugar to juices in many cases, but you can add a tad if you like. Some cooks advise against freezing plain fruit juices straight as the pops will be hard and icy, but our tasters didn't mind on a hot day. Make the juice from concentrate or use some of the interesting prepared flavor combinations - pineapple-orange, banana-orange, etc. found in the refrigerator section of markets. Canned fruit nectars and some yogurt drinks are other possible choices.

If you're looking for the consistency closer to store-bought fruit pops (many of which contain gums, sugar and water), add a little dissolved flavored or unflavored gelatin to the mixture prior to freezing. But go easy; a little goes a long way. Add too much and you'll end up with a rubbery, undesirable mess.

Be adventurous. Get the kids involved and let them create favorite flavor combinations. We had excellent success with fruit and yogurt combinations (plain, vanilla and flavored yogurts) as well as fruit and cream or milk mixtures. Fresh fruits such as peaches, nectarines, strawberries and raspberries worked well; canned and frozen fruit work, too. If you like bits and pieces of fruits in bars, chop or process accordingly.

Experiment. Mix and match to suit personal tastes and diet restrictions. Unlike baking, the preparation of homemade frozen pops is less than scientific, so don't be afraid to give different mixtures a whirl.

Create diet pop versions by using a sugar substitute, if desired. Sugar- free flavored syrups will also work. It's also feasible to sweeten with a little honey rather than sugar, if desired.

If kids want more intense colors, boost the fruit pop mixture with a few drops of food coloring.

Use plastic ice pop molds - you can find them at stores like Cost Plus; Williams-Sonoma; Bed, Bath & Beyond; and Linens 'n' Things - or if you don't want to invest in them, opt to use small paper drinking cups. Simply fill the cup about 3/4 full and place in the freezer (be sure the molds or cups are level) and freeze until firm, one to four hours, depending on the mixture and the temperature of your freezer. To keep wooden sticks upright in paper cups, freeze mixture until slushy before inserting sticks or cover tops with foil and make a slit in the center of the foil with the tip of a knife, then insert stick through the hole until it almost touches the bottom. If you have difficulty locating wooden sticks at craft shops, use heavy-duty plastic spoons.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) FREEZE!

Keep cool this summer with icy pops and granitas

(2 -- color) no caption (fresh fruits and popsicles)

(3 -- color) no caption (strawberry granita)

(4 -- color) no caption (popsicles)

Box: Making tip-top pops (see text)