Blog
Frozen treats for a South African summer: soft-serve, ice lollies and more
Short answer. Most of these frozen fruit treats come out of a Sana juicer in a few minutes. Soft-serve uses the homogenising screen on the 707, 727 or 929, or the sorbet screen on the 878, with fruit frozen ahead and softened briefly on the counter. Ice lollies are even simpler: juice the fruit with your usual screen, pour it into moulds and freeze. Below are three full recipes (mango and granadilla soft-serve, banana and peanut butter nice cream, and watermelon and citrus lollies) plus a few quick variations.
On this page
Which Sana juicers make soft-serve?
Soft-serve needs a screen with no holes, so the auger presses all of the frozen fruit together and pushes it out as a smooth, scoopable dessert.
- Sana 707, 727 and 929: fit the homogenising (blank) screen.
- Sana 878: fit the sorbet screen and feed the frozen pieces one at a time through the hole in the hopper lid. Don’t fill the hopper with frozen fruit.
- Sana 818: not made for frozen fruit, but it juices watermelon and citrus well, so the ice lollies further down are yours.
The full method lives in our guide to sorbet in a Sana juicer: how long to soften the fruit, which screen goes on which model, and what to do when the texture comes out slushy or the juicer strains. Read that once and every recipe here will make sense.
Getting the freezer ready
Frozen treats are mostly planning. Peel and chop the fruit into pieces of about 2 cm, spread them on a tray lined with baking paper so they freeze separately, then tip them into a sealed bag or box. Freeze for at least six hours. A bag of ripe banana pieces in the freezer is worth keeping all summer, because banana is what makes most of these creamy.
Summer fills South African shops with mangoes and watermelon, and that is when they taste best and cost least. Bags of frozen mango and mixed berries from the supermarket work well too.
Mango and granadilla soft-serve
Mango gives this its body and colour; a single banana smooths it out; granadilla pulp stirred through at the end adds sharpness and a little crunch from the pips. It tastes like a tropical holiday in a bowl and needs nothing added.
We fold the granadilla in after pressing rather than putting it through the juicer, which keeps the pips whole and gives a pretty yellow-and-black ripple. Sana’s own mango soft-serve suggests frozen passion fruit as a swap for some of the mango, so that route works too if you’d rather blend it in.
Mango and Granadilla Soft-Serve
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut the mango and banana into pieces of about 2 cm. Spread them on a lined tray and freeze for at least six hours, then bag them if you are not using them that day.
- Take the fruit out of the freezer and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until the edges just give when pressed.
- Fit the homogenising screen (707, 727, 929) or the sorbet screen (878) and put a bowl under the outlet.
- Feed the mango and banana in alternately. On the 878, drop the pieces in one at a time through the hole in the hopper lid.
- Spoon the granadilla pulp over the soft-serve and fold it through lightly with a spoon so it ripples.
- Add a squeeze of lime if the mango is very sweet, and serve straight away.
Notes
Avocado, lime and mango (Sana’s recipe)
This one is Sana’s idea, and it is a clever one. Avocado brings richness without much sweetness of its own, so the mango flavour stays bright. Sana’s avocado and mango soft serve uses roughly three parts frozen mango to one part frozen avocado, with fresh lime squeezed over as it comes out. Their tips, in short: let the fruit stand for about five minutes first, put it through a second time for a gelato-like finish, and give it 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer if you like it firmer.
To freeze avocado, halve it, remove the stone, peel and cube it, and squeeze a little lime over the cubes before they go into the freezer. Ripe but not mushy avocados cube most neatly.
Mixed berry with a drizzle of date syrup or honey
Frozen mixed berries and a banana, fed through alternately, give a deep pink soft-serve with a sharp edge. Raspberry and blackberry seeds come through, so expect a bit of texture. If the berries are tart, don’t add sweetener to the juicer: drizzle a little date syrup or honey over each bowl instead, where you can taste it. Sana’s film of a banana and berry sorbet on the 707 shows how quickly it comes together.
Banana and peanut butter nice cream
One-ingredient banana “nice cream” becomes a proper dessert with a ribbon of peanut butter and a scatter of roasted peanuts. Children love it, and it uses bananas that are past their best for eating.
If you have a 707, 727 or 929, you can make the peanut butter in the same juicer with the same screen: our peanut and cashew butter recipe shows how. Make it a day ahead so it has time to firm up in the fridge. On the 878, use a good bought peanut butter and swirl it in the same way.
Banana and Peanut Butter Nice Cream
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Slice the bananas into rounds about 2 cm thick, spread them on a lined tray and freeze for at least six hours.
- Let the banana stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until it just gives when pressed.
- Fit the homogenising screen (707, 727, 929) or the sorbet screen (878) and feed the banana through. On the 878, drop the pieces in one at a time through the hole in the hopper lid.
- If the peanut butter is stiff, loosen it with the honey or a teaspoon of warm water.
- Spoon it over the nice cream and swirl it through with a knife, leaving visible ribbons.
- Scatter with chopped peanuts and a pinch of flaky salt, and serve.
Notes
Watermelon and citrus ice lollies
No screen change, no frozen fruit: you make fresh juice with your usual juicing screen, pour it into lolly moulds and freeze. That means every Sana can do it, including the 818. The hands-free 878 and 818 are especially good here because watermelon goes in by the chunk and they handle a big batch quickly.
The trick to a lolly that tastes of fruit rather than ice is a little lime. Freezing dulls flavour, so a mix that tastes slightly too sharp from the jug will taste right once frozen. For a two-tone lolly, pour the orange juice in first, freeze it for about an hour until just set, then top up with watermelon.
Watermelon, Orange and Lime Ice Lollies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut the watermelon into pieces that fit your juicer’s feed chute or hopper and juice it. Expect about 600 ml.
- Juice the oranges and lime. Expect about 200 ml of orange juice and a little lime juice.
- For mixed lollies, stir everything together in a jug and taste: it should be slightly sharper than you would drink it. Pour into the moulds.
- For two-tone lollies, pour the orange and lime juice into the moulds first, freeze for about an hour until just set, then top up with the watermelon juice.
- Drop a mint leaf into each mould if you like. Add the sticks, or push them in after an hour if your moulds don’t hold them upright.
- Freeze for at least six hours, or overnight.
- Run the moulds briefly under warm water to release the lollies.
Notes
Wash all the fruit well, use clean moulds and freeze the juice as soon as it is made. Juice that hasn’t been pasteurised is a food-safety consideration for young children, pregnant women, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system, according to the US FDA. For more on how much juice suits children, see our fruit juices for the whole family.
More ideas to try
- Pineapple and mint lollies. Juice pineapple with a small handful of mint leaves and freeze. Sharp, green and very cooling.
- Naartjie and carrot lollies. Sweet, bright orange and an easy way to sneak in a vegetable.
- Choc-banana nice cream. Stir a spoonful of cocoa into banana soft-serve straight after pressing.
- Mango and coconut. Sana’s other soft-serve pairs three parts frozen mango with one part frozen coconut cream and a squeeze of lime.
Made with a Sana juicer
Sana 707 Juicer
R9899,00
Sana 727 Supreme Juicer
Price range: R12999,00 through R14999,00
Sana 878 Juicer
Original price was: R11999,00.R10399,00Current price is: R10399,00.Frequently asked questions
Which Sana juicers can make soft-serve?
The 707, 727 and 929 make soft-serve with their homogenising screens, and the 878 makes it with its sorbet screen, feeding the frozen pieces one at a time through the hole in the hopper lid. The 818 isn’t made for frozen fruit.
Do I need a special screen to make ice lollies?
No. Ice lollies are frozen fresh juice, so you juice the fruit with your normal juicing screen and pour it into moulds. Any Sana juicer can make them, including the 818.
How long do ice lollies take to freeze?
Allow at least six hours, and overnight is better. If your moulds don’t hold the sticks upright, freeze the juice for about an hour first and then push the sticks in.
Can granadilla go through the juicer?
Sana’s own mango soft-serve recipe suggests frozen passion fruit as a swap for some of the mango, so it can. We prefer to stir fresh granadilla pulp through the finished soft-serve, which keeps the pips whole and gives a ripple of colour.
Are homemade ice lollies suitable for children?
Yes, with sensible care. Wash the fruit well, use clean moulds and freeze the juice straight after making it, because unpasteurised juice is a food-safety consideration for young children, according to the US FDA. A lolly also holds less juice than a glass, which helps with portion size.
How long do soft-serve and lollies keep in the freezer?
Soft-serve is best eaten straight from the juicer. Leftovers keep for a week or two in a sealed container but set hard, so leave them out for about ten minutes before scooping. Lollies are best eaten within a couple of weeks; keep them sealed so they don’t pick up freezer smells.
Sources
- Avocado and mango soft serve, Sana Products recipes: mango to avocado ratio, lime, softening, second pass. sanaproducts.com
- Mango and coconut soft serve, Sana Products recipes: coconut cream, lime and the passion fruit variation. sanaproducts.com
- Sana 878 user manual, Sana Products: sorbet screen and frozen fruit guidance. sanaproducts.com
- Sana 727 Supreme user manual (English), Sana Products: homogenising screen and frozen ingredients. sanaproducts.com
- What you need to know about juice safety, US Food and Drug Administration: who should take care with untreated juice. fda.gov
