Zoku Pop Tips

If you read the instructions before you started using your Zoku, you'll already know the most important things.

• Do not use liquid that doesn't have sugar in in it. This doesn't mean add sugar to everything. Juice does not need added sugar since it has natural sugar.
• Always put a stick in before pouring liquid (except for thick pudding or yogurt pops).  For these, you should fill the Zoku 3/4 full, put the stick in, then finish filling.
• NEVER overfill. Fill to the bottom of the Fill Line.
• Put the Zoku back in the freezer while waiting for it to freeze. Make sure that it's on a flat surface. This is especially helpful if the room temperature is really high.  
• Make sure your hands are dry before trying to turn the Super Tool.
• Do not wait too long to remove pop from maker. It gets harder to remove.  
• NEVER yank on the stick if your pop is stuck.
• Turn the Super Tool until you see your pop move.  As soon as that happens, your pop is free from the Zoku and you can unscrew the Super Tool and remove the pop.
• If your pop is stuck because you overfilled the Zoku, run cool water on the Zoku until your pop is melted back to the fill line then try to remove with Super Tool.  It may come out.  If it doesn't, run under lukewarm water until fully melted or leave out to melt.
• If serving immediately, suck excess liquid off pop with a straw to minimize drips.  
• Serve with a paper towel if serving pops immediately or serving pops from freezer to slow eaters.  Drip guards are useless.  
• Store your Zoku in the back of your freezer, not on the door.  It's colder back there, which will make for a colder Zoku, which will hopefully lead to faster freezing time.  I read one blog whose writer had frozen pops in 5 minutes.  
• Although the instructions say not to store your sticks in the freezer, you should put them in the freezer a few hours (or day) before you want to make pops.  This will make the center freeze faster since the sticks won't be room temperature. Make sure your sticks are 100% dry (especially in the screw hole) before putting them in the freezer.  If your sticks aren't 100% dry don't put the in the freezer. Leave the sticks in the freezer while you're making pops. They come to room temperature very quickly.
• Make your pops ahead of time.  I know, I know, the whole thing about the Zoku is instant gratification, but it's also nice to be able to just open the freezer and have a pop without having to wait 10 minutes for one.  I try to make pops every time my Zoku is ready so I always have a supply in the freezer.
• Buy more sticks!  I have a Single Quick Pop Maker which comes with 3 sticks.  Since I'm only making pops for myself, I thought that would be enough, but since I can make a maximum of 3 pops at a time, I felt like I was wasting Zoku sessions if I didn't have 3 sticks available to make pops.  I didn't want to have to eat all 3 from the last batch before making the next batch, so I bought more sticks. 
• I couldn't see paying $20 for the Zoku Tools when I first bought my Zoku so I use a OXO Mini Angled Measuring Cup which I found at HomeGoods for $2.99 (retail $4.99) and a Camelback replacement straw I had lying around (retail $6).
• I was trying to figure out how I could get puddings & yogurts into the Zoku when it hit me - a frosting gun!  I got a Wilton Dessert Decorator Plus at A.C. Moore with a 50% off coupon (40% off coupons are available on their website - I got the 50% off coupon because I'm a member of their rewards club), so I paid only about $8.  I use the long skinny filling tip to pipe the yogurt/pudding into the Zoku.

Why Popsicles for One?

Last month I came across the Zoku Quick Pop Maker in my Internet travels. I'd seen the original it in a department store several years ago, but it was wildly expensive so I didn't think I'd ever get one. Then I found out they now make Single Quick Pop Makers in fashion colors, more importantly, in purple, my favorite color!! SOLD! They're still pretty expensive (half the price of the original which can make 3 at a time), but the small footprint was important because I share the freezer with a lot of housemates. I'm only making pops for myself so getting the original, which can theoretically make 9 pops at a time, wasn't important. I love frozen treats, and being the first day of what was looking to be a very hot Boston summer, I decided the Zoku would pay for itself by the end of the summer.

While I waited for my Zoku to show up, I spent hours searching for recipes. I was a little disappointed to learn that if you don't have enough sugar or have too much fat, you can end up with a disaster, not a popsicle. Other potential disasters include using some puddings & yogurts to make your pops. I was frustrated that I couldn't find the volume of a Zoku pop anywhere (it's slightly less than 1/4 cup or 5 tablespoons), most recipes were written for 6 pops, and many recipes were overly complicated, involving many ingredients that I don't use for anything (i.e. sweetened condensed milk) and wouldn't be practical to buy just to make a few pops.

My plan all along was to freeze existing liquids, puddings, and yogurts without a whole lot of mixing. I don't want pops with fruit smiley faces. I don't want dipped, drizzled, or sprinkled pops. I just want to pour in my liquid and have a pop in the advertised 7 minutes. Since I can only make (at most) 3 pops at a time (I found out after I ordered it that sometimes you can only get 2 pops at time if they take longer to freeze), and I wanted to experiment a lot in the beginning, I planned on making one type of pop at a time. This blog will chronicle my Zoku pop-making adventures.

Note: I am not compensated by Zoku for writing this blog.