Does The Fla-Vor-Ice TikTok Hack Really Work?
If you grew up during the 90s, you probably beat the summer heat by biting into a Fla-Vor-Ice popsicle (per Food Network). And while the classic frozen treat may have earned a place on the r/nostalgia subreddit, kids (and adults) today still take part in this traditional summer snack. However, although the pleasure of Fla-Vor-Ice's taste has been passed onto the next generation, so has its curse.
As delicious as this treat may be, you're probably well aware that it can also be an all-out struggle to open. But while many Redditors in the Fla-Vor-Ice forum joked about the cuts they earned tearing into the popsicle with their teeth — one user even referred to the snacks as "mouth razors" — a TikTok mom may have finally put a stop to kids risking it all by opening a Fla-Vor-Ice pop via their mouths.
The TikToker, Shelby Brazzell, shares a video detailing her painless, no-scissors-required hack for opening the popsicles. However, now that the hype has died down, you may be wondering if the mom's tip is actually as game-changing as she claims. Luckily, the secret popsicle opening method has now been tried and tested, and the results are in.
This TikTok Fla-Vor-Ice hack can be hit or miss
"Is that why they're called popsicles?" asked the TikToker as she explained her Fla-Vor-Ice hack. According to the OP, to indulge in your favorite guilty pleasure, you just need to put your hands around the popsicle and break it in half. But while this may sound like the perfect hack, the tip may not be as simple as it seems.
Fellow TikTokers couldn't help but test out the hack and some didn't have the same satisfying results. One user posted a video that showed, instead of breaking their treat clean in half, their popsicle's plastic didn't rip at all. Even news channels like WBTV attempted the trick to no avail, prompting one of the newscasters to embrace tradition and open the Fla-Vor-Ice with their teeth. He must've really wanted that ice pop!
However, while the trick appears to be a flop, Taste of Home reports that you still may be able to save your mouth yet. According to the outlet, the Fla-Vor-Ice tip is more likely to work if you take a few extra steps.
How to make the most of the hack
According to the Taste of Home (which, for the record, had no success with the trick either), to stand a better chance of pulling off this tip, you should check that your treat is good and frozen. Then, you need to be strategic about how you go about snapping your Fla-Vor-Ice. Taste of Home states you should be "moving your wrists upward and away" for the best results.
One YouTuber, @TyBottOfficial, did try the hack, and failed, claiming that the hack was, in fact, "a scam." The YouTuber, who used Otter Pops instead of the Fla-Vor-Ice pops, did get tons of comments and suggestions, even one from the OP of the hack herself. "Try doing it faster and putting your hands closer together," she suggested. The once unsuccessful Youtube user then gave the trick another go, keeping this advice in mind (as well as many other commenters' shared insight that the popsicle should be broken at an angle), and was able to make it work. With these tips in your arsenal, this TikTok hack still might be able to save your mouth from a popsicle wrapper's wrath.
If the hack doesn't work for you and those pesky wrappers just don't seem worth the trouble, you can always make your own healthy popsicles at home.