A lemon ice lolly only tastes of real lemon when the zest is involved. The juice alone delivers acidity. The essential oils sit in the zest, and that is exactly what separates a sour lolly from an aromatic one. In the Thermomix®, you pulverise a piece of organic lemon zest directly with the sugar at speed 10 before the juice goes in. The whole thing takes four minutes.
Lemon Ice Lolly with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 3 ✓
- 100 g sugar
- 60 g vanilla sugar
- 700 g lemon
Instructions 0 / 3
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1
Pulverise the sugar.
Add the sugar to the mixing bowl and pulverise for 10 seconds / speed 10.
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2
Blend the ingredients.
Juice the lemons, add the juice and blend for 20 seconds / speed 10.
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3
Freeze.
Pour the mixture into ice lolly bags or ice lolly moulds, seal well and freeze.
Tip: Add a piece of ginger to the mixing bowl in the first step.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why the zest belongs in the sugar
If you simply squeeze the lemons and add the juice to the mixing bowl, you get citric acid but very little of the aroma you actually want. The zest of an organic lemon contains the essential oils responsible for that fresh citrus fragrance. We therefore add a piece of zest together with the sugar to the mixing bowl in the first step and pulverise both at speed 10. The sugar absorbs the oils and the mixture smells immediately of fresh lemon, before any juice is added.
Make sure to take only the yellow layer. The white pith underneath tastes bitter and brings the flavour down. If you do not have organic lemons, leave the zest out and expect a slightly flatter result.
Ginger or chilli: when it is worth it
The recipe card includes a note that many people skip: a piece of ginger can be added directly to the mixing bowl in the first step. We tested this. A small piece (about 1 cm) is enough to create a gentle warmth on the finish that works well with the acidity of the lemon. The ginger does not taste dominant; it sharpens the aroma. For a stronger effect, use 2 cm.
For a spicier variation, chilli flakes work in small amounts. Add them after pulverising, not before. That way they distribute evenly through the mixture without clumping.
Moulds or bags: what works better
The finished mixture is runny and fills easily. Ice lolly bags are the quickest option because you do not need sticks and the bags lie flat in the freezer. Silicone ice lolly moulds give a neater result if you want to serve the lollies. Leave the moulds at room temperature for one to two minutes before unmoulding.
A good citrus press makes squeezing seven or eight lemons considerably less effort. Anyone who makes ice lolly recipes regularly reaches for one more often than expected. The ice lollies keep in the freezer for up to four weeks when properly sealed.
If you want to try other fruit ice lolly varieties: Our orange ice lolly follows the same zest principle and comes together just as quickly. And our strawberry ice lolly is the fruitier alternative without the acidity.
Also handy for the mixing bowl setup: a mixing bowl set with lids.
What other recipes do differently
Many lemon ice lolly recipes online use only lemon juice and sugar; some add 250 ml of water for a milder acidity. We deliberately use 700 g of whole organic lemons plus a piece of zest in the Thermomix®, so the essential oils from the zest carry the aroma rather than just the acidity. Others pasteurise at 50 degrees or stir every 90 minutes to prevent ice crystals, which is not necessary with a pure water-based lolly. Cookidoo uses buttermilk for creaminess; Gelaterista hollows out the lemons as a serving bowl. Our approach: two minutes of blending, no cooking, full citrus flavour.
