Otter Pops facts for kids
Otter Pops are a super popular brand of freeze pops in the United States. They come in a clear plastic tube filled with yummy fruit-flavored liquid. Otter Pops were one of the very first frozen treats like this!
Some Otter Pops are even made with 100% fruit juice, mostly apple juice. These special ones are white because they don't have any artificial colors. You usually buy Otter Pops at the store when they are not frozen. Then, you take them home and put them in your freezer to enjoy later!
The Story Behind Otter Pops
Otter Pops first came out in 1970. A company called National Pax created them. They were competing with another similar frozen treat called Fla-Vor-Ice. By 1990, Merrytime Products Inc. was making Otter Pops.
Later, in 1996, the company that made Fla-Vor-Ice, Jel Sert, bought Otter Pops too! In the 2000s, Jel Sert even changed the Otter Pops recipe to add more real fruit juice.
Today, Otter Pops are made in West Chicago, Illinois. You can find them in different sizes, from small to large. There are also ten different flavors, and each one has a fun character name!
- Blue (blue raspberry): Louie-Bloo Raspberry
- Red (strawberry): Strawberry Short Kook
- Pink (fruit punch): Poncho Punch
- Green (lime): Sir Isaac Lime
- Purple (grape): Alexander the Grape
- Orange ( orange (fruit)): Little Orphan Orange
- Gold (mango): Major Mango
- Yellow (pineapple): DJ Tropicool
- White (coconut): Cosmic Coconut
- Cyan (tropical punch): Anita Fruit Punch
Some flavors, like Rip Van Lemon and Scarlett O'Cherry, were stopped a long time ago.
The Sir Isaac Lime Protest
In 1995, the company planned to remove the "Sir Isaac Lime" flavor. They wanted to replace it with "Scarlett O'Cherry." But a fourth-grade student in Costa Mesa, California, found out about this on the company's website.
He decided to do something about it! He organized a petition and a protest with his cousins. Even a professor from Stanford University supported them, calling the change "Otter-cide." The company said the change was final, but the protest went on, even in the rain!
Finally, the company's boss changed his mind. He decided to keep Sir Isaac Lime, even though it was the least popular flavor. The fourth-grader who started the protest even got to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno!
Fun Ways to Use Otter Pops
People have found many creative ways to use Otter Pops over the years. You can use them instead of ice cubes to make a punch bowl look colorful and fun. They can also add flavor to different kinds of drinks.
See also
- Pop (frozen snack)
- Fla-Vor-Ice
- List of frozen dessert brands
