Helen Goh shares her recipe for pineapple and mango paletas, bright and sharp Mexican iced treats that are perfect for summer cooling. The first time she encountered paletas in Mexico, they reminded her of Malaysian childhood iced treats: fruit-driven, brightly colored, and made to relieve heat. She notes the flavor logic shared by both countries, where sweetness is enlivened with salt, chili, tamarind, or citrus. Paletas are rarely perfectly smooth; little pieces of fruit suspended in the ice give them texture.
Ingredients and Preparation
Paleta moulds are easy to find online or in kitchenware shops, but small paper cups and wooden sticks work as well. Prep time is 10 minutes, cook time 15 minutes, plus cooling, and freeze for 6+ hours. Makes 10-12 paletas.
For the base syrup: 70g caster sugar. For pineapple, lime and ginger paletas: 600g fresh pineapple flesh (cut into chunks) plus 70g finely diced into 5-7mm pieces, 1 quantity base syrup, 1 tbsp lime juice, 20g fresh ginger (finely grated), pinch of fine sea salt. For mango and Tajín paletas: 500g ripe mango flesh (cut into chunks) plus 70g finely diced, 1 quantity base syrup, 1½ tbsp lime juice, small pinch of fine sea salt, Tajín or other chili-lime seasoning to serve.
Method
To make the base syrup, place sugar and 70ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir until dissolved, remove from heat, and cool completely. For pineapple paletas, blend pineapple chunks with cooled syrup, lime juice, ginger, and salt until very smooth. Taste: it should seem slightly brighter and sharper than desired, as freezing dulls flavor. Pour puree into moulds, leaving 1cm space at top. Drop a few diced fruit pieces into each mould, nudging them down with a skewer or teaspoon. Tap moulds lightly to remove air bubbles, insert sticks, and freeze for at least six hours or overnight. To unmould, briefly run moulds under warm water.
For mango paletas, blend mango chunks with cooled syrup, lime juice, and salt until smooth. Taste and adjust if needed: mangoes vary in sweetness and acidity, so extra lime may be added. Drop diced fruit into each mould, nudging down. Freeze and unmould as above. Sprinkle Tajín over mango paletas just before serving to keep flavors bright and distinct.
