French's visited Toronto with free "Frenchsicles" for the city to enjoy at the Maple Leaf Square from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 23, and I headed over to put the tomato treat to the test.
In the name of full disclosure, I am a tomato girl. I love a good salsa. I'm known to drink a Caesar at brunch and don't shy away from a little squeeze on my hot dog, but I was wary of the idea of tomato in a popsicle.
I arrived around 11:30 a.m., and after surveying several people's reactions, which ranged from "it tastes like a bloody mary" to "it's like sucking on a ketchup bottle," I dove in and gave it a bite.
First impression
I took a generous bite – hoping for the best and mentally preparing for the worse.
The popsicle was thick and chunky, and every melted lick tasted like runoff from a can of cold tomato soup.
The texture itself had the density of a fudgesicle with the flavour of a nonalcoholic Caesar, which left my mouth utterly and completely confused.
The popsicle is made with tomato juice, French's Tomato Ketchup, Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce and rim salt, so it's not that it tasted bad – but in popsicle form, it just tasted wrong.
Aftertaste
The aftertaste of the popsicle was actually the best part.
After you get over the shock of frozen tomato slush, you can appreciate the flavour for what it is.
The only downside is hours after testing the Frenchsicle, I could still taste it.
Would I eat it again?
Brooke Houghton eating a French's ketchup popsicle.Brooke Houghton | Narcity
I don't think I would ever reach for a Frenchsicle to beat the summer heat, but if you're a massive fan of Caesars and prefer savoury to sweet, you may enjoy it.
Personally, I think that while fudge, bananas, and grapes may taste delicious when frozen, tomatoes should stay on the vine or in a bottle.
