Ruby's Rockets — cool popsicles for hot days

Way back at the end of June I rceived an email from Julie Hasson from Julie's Kitchenette, alerting me that I'd won the popsicle jackpot —  12 boxes of Ruby's Rockets were coming my way. 12 boxes! It dawned on me that my freezer was pretty full, and I had no idea where I'd put them all. For one reason and another, the posicles didn't arrive until late August, and by that time I had cleared space, filled it up, and cleared it again.

The boxes only contain six single popsicles each, just like the ones you see in the photos, so I didn't need as much space as I though — they all fit neatly onto one shelf.

Ruby's Rockets Web site says:
"Our products are:

• All Natural
• Healthy
• No Sugar Added
• No Artificial Colors or Flavors
• Fat Free (Galaxy Green flavor is low-fat)
• Dairy Free
• GMO Free
• Gluten Free*
• HFCS Free
• Vegan
• No eggs
• No Fillers or Stabilizers
• Less than 35 Calories per Pop
• Less than 2 Grams of Sugar per Pop!

Looking for organic ingredients? Over 70% of our ingredients come to us from organic growers.

Ruby’s Rockets are healthy, with natural flavors and added probiotics for digestive and immune support. We’re the first pop of this kind to offer probiotics.

The only colors you see in our pops are the beautiful colors of the fruits and vegetables themselves: the kiwis, spinach and avocados in Galaxy Green, the strawberries, carrots and beets in Rock-It Red, and the yams, oranges and carrots in Orbit Orange."

They are sweetened with organic white grape juice, and of course the natural sweetness of the fruits and veggies. They come in three flavors rocket red, orbit orange and galaxy green. After reading the ingredient list, I chose orbit orange as my first pop to taste, because it sounded the best. Orange, right?

My husband and I each ate a popsicle and enjoyed them. They were refreshing and orange-y but not too sweet. I really couldn't tell there were sweet potatoes and carrots in there.

The next day we sampled the rocket red. I had to be in just the right mood to eat a popsicle with beets, but they were totally delicious.

Even though I've made great strides in the green smoothie arena, and have even come to prefer them to all-fruit smoothies, I have to admit being a little afraid of the galaxy green pops. Did I really want a popsicle with avocado and spinach? I focused on the kiwi and banana and gave it a try. This turned out to be my least favorite of the three flavors, but not because of the two aforementioned foods. To my taste buds, the popsicle had a flavor that reminded me of fruity bubblegum. I ate it, and by the time I got to the end I liked it a lot better, but I probably wouldn't buy it. On the other hand, 5-year-old Miss E said she loved the green pops. "They taste like a frozen kiwi and apple smoothie," said she.

Over all, I enjoyed the Ruby's Rockets. I love that they are such a healthy treat and so low in calories. They are extremely hard, as you might expect an all-fruit and veggie pop to be, so they don't drip much — even when you lick them — making them great for kids! And the natural colors are beautiful.

My popsicles arrived packed in dry ice and ready to pop into the freezer. If you order some, remember to let them sit a bit before tasting them or your tongue will stick. Trust me on that.

*fyi, the popsicles are manufactured in a facility that uses wheat, nuts and dairy.