Try It Out Tuesday: Zoku popsicle maker

CINCINNATI - For Try It Out Tuesday we're putting the Zoku popsicle maker to the test.

It promises to let you make popsicles your way in a matter of minutes. The kit comes with a mold and plastic popsicle sticks. The directions say to leave the mold in your freezer for 24 hours.

You can mix up any recipe you want, using anything from juice, to fruit, or even alcohol for a grown-up treat.

Then you just take the Zoku out of your freezer and pour your mix in the molds. Our tester served up a blend of cucumber, lime, and mint. She got the recipe off the Zoku website and there are tons of other delicious ideas there.

The popsicles were ready in about 10 minutes for this test. The box promises six or seven minutes. Our testers think the hot studio lights slowed down the freezing process.

Our tester says practice makes perfect when you're using this product. She said her "berry smoothie" recipe was too thick and chunky to pour into the mold, and she had better results with a more liquefied mixture.

There are a few other guidelines to keep in mind when using the Zoku popsicle maker. You have to make sure it’s completely dry when you put it in the freezer, because frozen water in the molds will cause popsicles to stick. The directions also say you shouldn’t use juices with artificial sweeteners because it makes popsicles very difficult to remove from the molds. Needless to say this is a gadget that should only be used with adult supervision.

Our tester got the Zoku popsicle maker at Macy’s for about $50.

As always this is an unscientific test with unscientific results.