BLU3 (blue raspberry)

Eating an end of summer blue raspberry popsicle made me want to do some research on the flavor. None of the blue raspberry recipes or concentrates I've tried quite nail that fully saturated blue raspberry flavor.

I read all of the usual articles out there that give the history of the blue color after FD&C Red No. 2 was found to be carcinogenic. These articles also told the story of the rubus leucodermis, more commonly known as the "whitebark raspberry" or "blue raspberry". None of the articles actually delved deep enough to mention the actual aromas/flavors used in popsicle/candy making that make up the profile.....but one.

I spent some time balancing this and eating popsicles to try and get it right. I hope you all enjoy it. I got some serious brain freeze just for you.

The flavors I've used here are generally what the candy industry uses to concoct a blue raspberry. Pineapple, banana and cherry.

I chose INW Pineapple and CAP Golden Pineapple because it gives what I feel is a nice sweet balanced pineapple to build upon.

For the banana I knew I wanted something that was a good banana that would fit in the mix and work well with the other fruits. I arrived at HS after the other few bananas I tried stuck out like a runty whore in church.

INW Cherries was a no brainer. It's my favorite cherry and doesn't bring a bunch of medicinal baggage to try and mask. The problem I had was keeping it low enough so that it blended in like a sniper in a ghillie suit. My first few batches were very cherry forward and it stepped all over the pineapple/banana instead of working with it.

FA Oba Oba and CAP Hibiscus bring the sticky syrupy sweetness to the party.

You can add your preferred amount of whatever coolant you want if that's your thing. I left it out when developing the recipe so I could taste what was going on. WS-23 gives me heartburn much over 0.75% but would be my choice here.

Bon Appétit!