Hang onto summer with a freeze pop in your hand

If you could hold summer in your hand, what would it be? A tube of sunscreen lotion? A mosquito? A homegrown tomato?

For me, it's a frozen treat.

Doesn't really matter what flavor it is, or whether the concoction is juicy, creamy or fruity — or all three.

What does matter is that it's cold when I'm not. I reach for these treats only when days are hot.

Sure, there are plenty of options at the supermarket, as well as on the occasional roaming Good Humor truck.

But for a real treat — now repeat after me — make your own (which is true for just about anything coming out of the kitchen).

Whether it's a simple juice combo, a creamy fruit blend or an adult version with a hint of alcohol, when you're the one in charge of the ingredients, you control not only the quality, but also what goes into those treats — or not.

Summer is fleeting, but so are frozen pops. Grab them while you can.

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The steps for making your own ice pops are fairly basic — and familiar to anyone who has dabbled with the process. The key is to experiment and have fun. Where else can mishaps be so tasty?

• Base mixtures for the pops can start with juices and puréed fruit, yogurt, ice cream or pudding. If you need some inspiration, consider what you'd use in a smoothie and start there.

• Expand your repertoire by freezing malts or milkshakes in your molds for a different kind of creamy treat, or try a cooked concoction (see recipe) as a base.

• Sugar and alcohol will prevent a mixture from freezing hard. To illustrate, consider the difference in the firmness of an ice cube and a frozen can of orange juice concentrate. One is rock hard and the other is slushy. Mixtures with more sugar will be softer when frozen. If you freeze iced tea, it will be like an ice cube, but add puréed fruit to it and the consistency will be softer. Alcohol also affects the firmness of the pop: Too much prevents the mixture from freezing. Only a few tablespoons of alcohol will work for 4 to 6 pops.

• All sorts of plastic molds with built-in sticks are available in kitchen specialty stores, craft stores and online. There's also the tried-and-true paper cup method with wooden craft sticks that can be inserted after the mixture is slightly frozen to a slushy state, which will keep the stick upright. Of course, then you have to remember to check on the state of the pops. An alternative for the forgetful cook: Cover the top of the mold with foil, make a small cut and put the wooden stick through it — and forget about it once it's in the freezer. (The foil will hold the stick in place while the mixture freezes.)

• Allow at least a ¼ -inch space at the top of the mold because the mixture will expand as it freezes.

• Start with cold ingredients; it will take at least 5 or 6 hours for the pop to be firm; overnight is better yet. Consider setting your freezer at its coldest. And make sure you've got a flat surface for the pops as they freeze or you will have crooked pops, though they will taste just as good!

• To remove a plastic mold, run warm water over the exterior briefly or hold the mold in your warm hand until it releases from the plastic.