As a little girl, I hated spicy food. Every time I accidentally took a bite of chile from my mom’s homemade rice, I would run around the house yelling “pica,” begging my siblings to quickly give me a glass of milk (pica means spicy in Spanish). The scene was so dramatic, you would think I was starring in a telenovela.
Luckily, things have changed since then and now, I absolutely love spicy food! Which is why I've decided to create paletas de limón with salsa de Valentina and Tajín.
Since people enjoy different levels of spicy, I created three different versions: pica (Valentina & Tajín) , medium (Valentina only), and mild (Tajín only).
Pro-tip: The best paletas are made from natural ingredients. That's how you know they're the real deal. If this is your first time making paletas, here are some tips to get you started.
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Spicy Lime Paletas
Prep Time: 15-30 minutes
Yields: 9 paletas
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups of water
- 1 cup of sugar
- 3 1/2 one-inch strips lime zest
- 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice (14 small limes)
- 1/2 cup finely diced cilantro
- 1 bottle Valentina Salsa (Red label, 12.5 oz or larger)
- 1 bottle Tajín
Lime-cilantro preparation
Finely dice about 1/2 cup of cilantro.
In a large saucepan, combine the water, lime zest, and sugar.
Cook and stir the water-lime mixture over medium heat until it comes to a boil (making sure the sugar has dissolved).
Let the water-lime mixture cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, cut and juice your 14 limes.
Using a fine mesh sieve, transfer your lime juice into a large bowl.
Remove the zest from your water-lime mixture.
Add your finely diced 1/2 cup of cilantro and water-lime mixture into the large bowl with lime juice. Stir until it is mixed throughout.
Once again use a fine mesh sieve and transfer your lime juice into a new large bowl to get rid of the cilantro chunks. You should be left with a mixture that has speckles of cilantro (not chunks). Note: If you need help making the lime base, watch this video by MexCook.
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Pica Paletas (Valentina & Tijín) Preparation
Add 1 tablespoon of Valentina to each mold (this will be the top of your paleta, nice and spicy!)
Fill each mold halfway with lime-cilantro juice.
Add 1 pinch of Tajín.
Finish filling the mold to the top with lime-cilantro juice and sprinkle one more pinch of Tajín.
Snap on the lids, insert the popsicle sticks, and place in the freezer until they are frozen solid (about 5 hours).
Once they are frozen, take them out of the molds and sprinkle Tajín on top.
Medium paletas (Valentina only) preparation
Add 1 tablespoon of Valentina to each mold (this will be the top of your paleta, nice and spicy!)
Fill to the top with lime-cilantro juice.
Snap on the lids, insert the popsicle sticks, and place in the freezer until they are frozen solid (about 5 hours).
Once they are frozen, take them out of the molds and enjoy!
Mild paletas (tajín only) preparation
Add 1 tablespoon of Tajín to each mold (this will be the top of your paleta, nice and spicy!)
Fill each mold to the top with lime-cilantro juice.
Snap on the lids, insert the popsicle sticks, and place in the freezer until they are frozen solid (about 5 hours).
Once they are frozen, take them out of the molds and sprinkle Tajín on top.
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tips
I hope you enjoy these spicy lime paletas!
P.S. In case you're wondering, my favorite one was the Tajín and Valentina combination. If you decide to make them, let me know your favorite one in the comments below!
Recipe inspired by Fany Gerson recipe from the book Paletas.
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About the Author
LUISA NAVARRO
Mexican-American journalist, former national news producer, and graduate of Boston College and Columbia University School of Journalism. Her mission is to shed more light on the beauty and traditions of Mexican culture. This website is dedicated to her grandmothers, Tita Susana and Tita Lupita, who taught her to be proud of her heritage and to always remember where her ancestors came from.
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