The heat is on. And by that, we mean the warmer weather is here to stay. Just this Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) recorded the hottest day of the year so far in Metro Manila with a temperature of 36.5ºC and a heat index of 41ºC. For your information, that heat index is already classified as “Danger” with a probability of heat stroke along with heat cramps and exhaustion.

While turning on the air conditioning may quickly remedy this, it’s not energy-efficient nor environmentally friendly—which is why we came up with this list: 10 ways you can stay cool at home without cranking up the AC.

Listed in there are ways to stay cool and hydrated such as wearing breathable clothes and drinking cold beverages.

Here’s another way to keep cool while enjoying a snack: ice pops, locally known as ice candy.

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It’s those cylindrical, plastic-packed ice pops sold by your neighbor or your suking tindahan that come in different flavors. I remember the most popular one when I was a kid was the buko salad flavor. That’s just in the homemade end.

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There are also artificially-flavored frosties that you can split into two, the ones you cajole your mom to buy from the supermarket so you can freeze them at home.

This is in no way a prompt for you to rush out to buy them. We have an even better idea: Why not make it at home?

Ice candy, put simply, is any sweet juice or mixture that is conducive for freezing. You can make it out of instant mixes (i.e. powdered fruit drink) or by making a custard base, which you can then flavor with a variety of things.

Here are some suggestions:

Frozen berries
Fruit salad and other canned fruits (peach, pineapple, even corn!)
Graham crackers
Red beans (to mimic the dirty ice cream monggo flavor)
Tapioca pearls (milk tea flavoring optional)
Powdered mixes (coffee and chocolate powder)
Jelly or jam
Peanut butter

person holding popsicle — *Photo by Miguel Andrade on Unsplash*

[READ: Easy 3-ingredient ice cream for summer]

Note that this recipe can also be turned into popsicles, which is technically how it will turn out using the equipment suggested below since we don’t want to use and encourage the use of the single-use plastic packaging where these icy treats are originally packed.

Custard-based ice candy recipe

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Ingredients

Condensed milk
All-purpose cream

Equipment

Bowl or deep container
Whish or fork
Popsicle molds or ice tray

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Procedure

In a bowl, mix both ingredients until a homogeneous mixture forms
Add in your choice of ingredient then mix thoroughly to distribute them equally or to fully incorporate flavor. Alternatively, you can also pulse the ingredients together in a blender for a smoother more incorporated mixture.
Pour the resulting mixture into the molds. Since we are not using a single-use plastic container, make sure the molds have covers.
Put in the freezer for a minimum of six hours or overnight.
Release from molds and serve. Enjoy!

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