March 11, 2011

Goodbye to Twin Popsicles – 1986

Did you know that Popsicles were invented by accident?

Did you know that they were invented by a kid?

In 1905, in San Francisco, an 11-year-old boy named Frank Epperson was mixing powdered flavoring for soda and water on his porch. He left the drink there with the stirring stick still in the glass. That night was really cold, and Frank's drink froze around his stick. That's how Frank got the idea for a fruit-flavored ice pop.

In 1923, the adult Frank Epperson introduced his frozen treat-on-a-stick at Neptune Beach, California. He called it the Epsicle Ice Pop (using his own last name in combination with the word "icicle"). Later Epperson's kids suggested he change the name to Popsicle.

The flat wooden sticks with rounded ends were considered a bonus to eating the frozen dessert, and kids would save the sticks and use them in many different ways, especially as a craft material.

During the Great Depression (the 1930s), twin Popsicles (a double-stick Popsicle) were introduced—and this double treat was sold for more than 40 years. The two sections could be divided and shared—but breaking Popsicles apart wasn't always a smooth operation, as I well remember. Sometimes too much of the Popsicle would end up stuck to one stick, and the smaller portion would often fall off its stick altogether.

So perhaps it was no surprise when, on this day in 1986, Popsicle announced that it was discontinuing two-stick popsicles in favor of the one-stick variety.

Celebrate by eating Popsicles—or by making your own frozen-juice treat.

Pour juice into tiny paper cups or large ice-cube trays. The trick is to allow the juice to partially freeze before inserting the wooden sticks—that way, the sticks can stand up straight. Then continue to freeze solid.