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Minute Maid: Six Ways to Celebrate Summer!

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Friends, have NO doubt – SUMMER IS HERE!

And, the warmer temps have me craving deliciously cold cocktails and confections. After all, there’s no better way to celebrate summer than with a refreshing, fruity beverage – I can almost hear the patio calling me now! (“Leee-naaa!!!”)

To toast the beautiful season ahead, my good friends at Minute Maid have shared six of their most fabulous recipes for summer treats. The perfect complement for an outdoor party and a must-have for a Girls Night In, you’ll be the hostess-with-the mostess when you serve these fruity faves. Be sure to bookmark this post, and ENJOY!

BLACKBERRY SMASH PINK LEMONADE POPS
(16 pops with ¼ cup capacity molds)

3/4 cup fresh blackberries
1 can frozen Minute Maid Pink Lemonade Frozen concentrate
1 ¼ cups water
200mL – tetra Minute Maid Mixed Berry 100% juice

Place blackberries in large bowl and smash with wooden spoon. Add Minute Maid Pink Lemonade Frozen concentrate, water and mixed berry blend. Pour into popsicle molds leaving ½-cm room at top for expansion. Freeze until hard. (The blackberries will float to the top, so that when inverted, creates a beautiful blackberry base.)

Per serving (approx. 1/4 cup / 2 oz. per one pop): about 47 cal, 0 g pro, 0 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 13 g carb (1 g dietary fibre, 11 g sugar), 0 mg chol, 4 mg sodium, 11 mg potassium. % RDI: 8% vit C, 1% folate.

PUCKER-UP GRANITA
(makes 6 servings)

Simple Syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chopped fresh mint

1 can Minute Maid Lemonade Frozen concentrate, mixed with 3 cans water
1 can Minute Maid Limeade Frozen concentrate, mixed with 3 cans water

Mint leaves for garnish

Simple syrup: In a small pot over medium-high heat, stir together water and sugar and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in mint; cover and keep on the side. Meanwhile, pour Minute Maid Frozen Lemonade into large, shallow glass baking dish and place in freezer overnight.

Strain mint from simple syrup. Stir simple syrup into Minute Maid Limeade, pour into large, shallow glass baking dish and place in freezer overnight.

Using fork, scrape surface of each mixture creating an icy snow. Layer lemonade and limeade in glass with chopped mint. Garnish with mint leaves.

Adult Option: Pour 1 oz. rum over layers and let sit 2 minutes (to create a mojito!) Stir to mix.

Per approx. 1 2/3 cups (15 oz.) serving: about 271 cal, 0 g pro, 0 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 72 g carb (0 g dietary fibre, 69 g sugar), 0mg chol, 19 mg sodium, 3 mg potassium. % RDI: 1% calcium

PEACHY SPARKLER
(Makes 10 servings)

1 can Minute Maid Peach Punch Frozen concentrate mixed with 1.5 cans water
2 cups Minutes Maid Original 100% chilled Orange Juice from concentrate
½ cup lime juice
5 cups Sprite beverage*
In large bowl or pitcher, stir together Minute Maid Frozen Peach Punch with Minute Maid 100% Orange Juice and lime juice.

To serve: Fill glass with frozen grapes and peaches. Fill halfway with juice, top up with Sprite. Alternately, skewer grapes and peach slices on a straw and freeze.

Per approx. 1 cup (9 oz.) serving: about 128 cal, 1 g pro, 0 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 34 g carb (0 g dietary fibre, 33 g sugar), 0 mg chol, 30 mg sodium, 12 mg potassium. % RDI: 67% vit C, 6% folate.

* Sprite Zero can be substituted if preferred

TROPICAL CITRUS GRANITA
(Makes 6 servings)

1 can Minute Maid Mango Punch frozen concentrate mixed with 2 cans water
2-200mL tetra Minute Maid Tropical Orange 100% Juice

Coconut Cream
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 ¼ cups coconut water
1 cup canned coconut cream

Stir together 100% Tropical Orange juice, Mango Punch and water. Pour into large shallow glass baking dish.

In small saucepan, (or in small bowl in microwave) heat water with sugar until dissolved. Whisk together with coconut water and coconut cream. Pour into shallow glass baking dish.

Place both dishes in the freezer for 2 hours. Remove from freezer, scrape edges and mix with a fork. Return to freezer, scraping every hour until no liquid remains, 6-7 hours total. Layer fruit granita on bottom of glass, followed by coconut mixture, and another layer of fruit granita on top. Garnish with tropical fruit.

Per approx. 1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) serving: about 267 cal, 2 g pro, 9 g total fat (8 g sat. fat), 48 g carb (2 g dietary fibre, 45 g sugar), 0 mg chol, 91 mg sodium, 262 mg potassium. % RDI: 1% calcium, 3% iron, 115% vit C, 4% folate.

WATERMELON GRAPEFRUIT FIZZ
(Makes 16 servings)

8 cups cubed watermelon
1 can Minute Maid 100% Grapefruit Juice frozen concentrate mixed with 1.5 cans water
8 cups Sprite beverage *
Basil leaves for garnish

In batches, puree watermelon cubes in blender. In large bowl, stir together prepared Minute Maid 100% Grapefruit Juice with watermelon puree.

To serve: Fill glass with ice. Fill halfway with juice, top up with Sprite. Stir in torn basil leaves.

Per approx. 1 cup (8.5 oz.) serving: about 101 cal, 1 g pro, 0 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 26 g carb (0 g dietary fibre, 24 g sugar), 0 mg chol, 25 mg sodium, 84 mg potassium. % RDI: 1% calcium, 1% iron, 4% vit A, 52% vit C, 1% folate.

* Sprite Zero can be substituted if preferred

SUMMERTIME SANGRIA
(Makes 8 cups with fruit)

1 can Minute Maid Berry Punch Frozen concentrate
1 can Minute Maid Cranberry Punch Frozen concentrate
2-200mL tetra Minute Maid 100% Apple Grape Juice
2 oranges, segmented (see below)
1 red grapefruit, segmented (see below)
1 plum, sliced
1 apple, cut into ½-inch (1-cm) chunks
2 ½ cups Club Soda

In large bowl, stir together Minute Maid Berry Punch Frozen concentrate, Minute Maid Cranberry punch Frozen concentrate, 2 cans of water and Minute Maid 100% Apple Grape Juice.

To segment oranges and grapefruit:

Cut small piece from either end to make 2 flat sides. Place fruit on one cut end. Starting at top and cutting toward bottom, remove sections of peel and pith to reveal fruit. Continue, turning, until only fruit remains. Holding fruit in one hand, cut each segment free by cutting on either side of each membrane. Cut each segment in half.

Place all fruit into juice mixture. Cover and place in fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight. To serve, fill glass ¾ full with punch. Top with club soda.

Adult option: Omit club soda. Mix punch in equal parts with red wine. Let the fruit sit in the wine for 4-6 hours before serving.

Per approx. 1 1/2 (13 oz.) serving: about 210 cal, 1 g pro, 0 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 54 g carb (2 g dietary fibre, 50 g sugar), 0 mg chol, 28 mg sodium, 135 mg potassium. % RDI: 2% calcium, 1% iron, 5% vit A, 190% vit C, 7% folate.

For more amazing recipes, and to learn about NEW Minute Maid Smoothies, click here to visit Minute Maid.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Yummm I can just imagine MInute Maid Tropical Smoothie mixed with some rum and coconut liqueur. I hear that patio calling me too! :D

  3. I didn’t even know they had a peach flavor, these look great, thanks for sharing!

    • I sampled the “pucker up granita” at the #CelebrateSummer event last week and it was DELICIOUS!

  5. Oh man.. blendy slushy drinks are my summer weakness. Seriously.

    These all sound soooo good.. Is 8 am too early to be thinking up what alcohols would work best with each of these drinks for an adult version? hah

    Thanks for sharing Lena :-)

  6. All of these summer treats look fabulous! My faves of course are the Peachy Sparkler and Tropical Citrus Granita. Can’t wait for the hot weather to be back to enjoy these awesome treats on my patio.

  8. They all sound so delicious, I especially like the sound of the Peachy Sparkler :) Going to check out the Minute Maid page later as well and see what other ideas they have.

    • Please do Flora! I love that you may already have most of the ingredients already in your fridge/freezer!

  9. These all sound so refreshing! The blackberry pink lemonade is right up my alley – favourite flavours!

  15. officially on my radar for drinks this week – now hopefully the sun will start shining again!

  16. The Blackberry Smash Pink Lemonade Pops look so good…I have a few vintage molds that I would use with this recipe…looks good enough to trick me into thinking this is dessert :)

      • Oh yes…I love anything vintage however I just had to buy some cute little Tupperware molds that are a lot easier to use for this recipe. These recipes are great, especially for those hot summer days.

  19. definitely going to try some of these recipes, especially the pucker up granita sound so good

  22. I was excited to check out some ‘cool’ recipes for summer, but we avoid sugary juices. Love that some of them have fresh fruit though, I think we might experiment with the recipes, they’re a great starting point though, lots of good ideas to work with :)

    • That’s exactly it, Holly – you can change it up as you see fit to incorporate your own healthy choices!

  24. Definitely going to try them all over the course of the summer…soon as it stops raining and the warm summer sunshine arrives:)

  25. Tis the season for smoothies – fruit blends for my son. Have yet to try coconut liqueur – this is a recipe that I might opt to try this weekend. Two weeks of rain – forecasting a sunny weekend – so would have an occasion to celebrate – a break from those MONSTROUS mosquitos !

  26. i love the way the recipe is laid out makes it easy and user freindly thanks will be trying these ones out for the kids

    • GREAT TO KNOW! I haven’t made them myself, so I really value your feedback! Thanks Judy!

  32. I’ll be making the Watermelon Grapefruit Fizz. Watermelon and basil together are surprisingly awesome!

  35. Those Lemonade pops look GREAT, I know my kids will gobble those up soo fast.

    Ummmmm, mom will too. Won’t blame it all on the kids.

  37. All of these ideas look like a great treat but the PEACHY SPARKLER would be my favorite because I love peaches