Otter Pops
Otter Pops are a brand of freezies sold in the United States. The product consists of a clear plastic tube filled with a fruit-flavored liquid and is one of the earliest brands of this dessert.[1]
Some varieties claim to contain 100% fruit juice. Otter Pops are a frozen treat, but stores generally sell them at room temperature for the consumer to later freeze at home.
Background[edit]
National Pax introduced Otter Pops in 1970, in competition with Jel Sert's similar product, Fla-Vor-Ice. In 1996, Jel Sert acquired the rights to Otter Pops as well.[2] During the 2000s, Jel Sert modified the Otter Pops recipe to add more fruit juice.[3] The company's manufacturing facilities are in West Chicago, Illinois.[4] Otter Pops come in 1-, 2- and 5.5-ounce serving sizes. They also come in 6 flavors, each named after a different character:[5]
- Blue (blue raspberry): Louie-Bloo Raspberry
- Red (strawberry): Strawberry Short Kook
- Pink (fruit punch): Poncho Punch
- Yellow (lemon): Rip Van Lemon (discontinued in the late 1970s)
- Green (lemon-lime): Sir Isaac Lime
- Purple (grape): Alexander the Grape
- Orange (orange): Little Orphan Orange
- Gold (mango) Major Mango
- Yellow (tropical punch) DJ Tropicool
- White (coconut) Cosmic Coconut
- Cyan (fruit punch) Anita Fruit Punch
Sir Isaac Lime protest[edit]
In 1995, National Pax had planned to replace the "Sir Isaac Lime" flavor with "Scarlett O'Cherry", until a group of Orange County, California fourth-graders created a petition in opposition and picketed the company's headquarters in early 1996. The crusade also included an e-mail campaign, in which a Stanford University professor reportedly accused the company of "Otter-cide". After meeting with the children, company executives relented and retained the Sir Isaac Lime flavor with "Scarlett O'Cherry" being forever put on hold.[6]
Other uses[edit]
Over the generations, other uses of Otter Pops have been devised and shared in the US. They can be used as a colorful substitute for ice in a punch bowl or to flavor mixed drinks.[7]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Jolene Thym (16 June 2021), "Taste-Off: The tastiest frozen ice pops on the market", The Mercury News, archived from the original on 16 June 2021, retrieved 18 March 2022
- ^ Sert, Jel. "Jel Sert Our History". jelsert.com. Jel Sert. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "The Past, Present, and Future of Freeze Pops". eater.com. Vox Media. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "Jel Sert Business Manufacturing". Jelsert.com. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-03-18. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Cool-Headed Kid Keeps Sir Isaac in the Limelight", Los Angeles Times, January 27, 1996.
- ^ Heidi von Tagen (2010-08-02). "gorgeous bits: Otter Pops for Grownups". Gorgeousbits.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2017-05-01.