Lemon peppermint stick is a tart, sweet treat made by pushing a soft, semi-porous peppermint candy into a halved lemon and sipping the juice up through it like a straw. Also called a Baltimore lemon stick or Flower Mart lemon peppermint stick, this is a Baltimore tradition I have put together for summer fairs, fundraisers, and block parties more times than I can count. It takes less than five minutes to assemble, needs zero cooking, and it is one of the easiest treats you can sell at a fundraiser table for real profit.
This treat is tied to Baltimore's Flower Mart, an outdoor festival in Mount Vernon that dates back to 1911. The earliest mentions of the lemon stick go back to the 1920s, and the mart has sold thousands of them every spring since; early versions used a thin, candy-cane style stick before vendors switched to the thick, soft peppermint stick we use today. Around Baltimore, you will hear this treat called a lemon peppermint stick, a Baltimore lemon stick, or just a lemon stick, no "peppermint" required, at church fairs, block parties, and school fundraisers all summer long.
Speaking of summer, you are going to want to check out these easy crockpot meals to make your beach vacation easier.
Ingredients:
This is about as short an ingredient list as you will find on this site: two items, and one of them has a couple of brand options worth knowing about before you buy.
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- Soft Peppermint stick King Leo Tin, King Leo Box, Bob's Sweet Stripes (bag)
- Lemon - whole
Soft peppermint stick, this needs to be the semi-porous, soft style of peppermint candy, not a hard candy cane. The porous body is what lets the stick pull lemon juice up like a straw; a hard candy cane will just sit there.
Lemon, pick one that feels heavy for its size. A heavier lemon has more juice inside it, and more juice means your lemon stick lasts longer before it dries out at the fair table.
Where to find soft peppermint sticks
I buy the King Leo soft peppermint sticks on Amazon because I cannot find them locally. Here is what changes if you swap the packaging or the brand.
- King Leo Tin vs. King Leo Box: the candy inside is identical; only the packaging changes. The box is usually cheaper, but I have had boxes ship in July with at least one stick snapped in half. I buy the tin specifically because the individually wrapped sticks survive shipping and summer humidity far better than a box does. If you are buying these in person at a local shop instead of having them mailed, the box is fine and saves you a couple of dollars.
- Bob's Sweet Stripes (bag): this is the other widely available soft peppermint stick, sold in a bag rather than a tin or box. The candy itself is very similar in softness and porosity. I have used both, and the brand does not change your result here; buy whichever one you can actually get your hands on.
- A regular candy cane: I get asked this every summer, and the answer is no. A traditional hard candy cane is not porous enough to pull juice up through it, no matter how long you leave it sitting in the lemon. You need the soft, semi-porous stick style for this to work at all.
How to Make a Lemon Peppermint Stick
Four steps, no cooking, and you can be sipping in under five minutes.
- Slice the lemon in half. Cut a whole lemon in half around its circumference, not top to bottom. A short peppermint stick sits better in a full half-lemon than in a thin top slice, and if you are making these for a fundraiser, two halves means two treats to sell instead of one.
- Cut a small X in the center. Use a paring knife to cut a small X, about half an inch deep, into the flesh at the center of each lemon half. You are opening a pocket for the candy, not juicing the lemon, so keep the cut shallow and centered.
- Press the peppermint stick into the lemon. Push the peppermint stick straight down into the X. You will feel it sink into the pulp as the lemon segments give slightly around it; that resistance is normal and means it is seated well.
- Sip. Suck the juice up through the peppermint stick like a straw. The porous candy pulls the lemon juice up as you drink, and you will watch the stick turn from white to pink to red as the coating dissolves. If nothing is coming up after a few tries, bite off the very tip of the stick; that opens the porous center enough to start the pull, and the rest works on its own from there.
Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:
While I try to share all the information you need to make this recipe in your home with restaurant-quality results, there still may be a question or two. Or these are questions I have received from the community about this recipe. I do my best to answer them as clearly as I can. I hope this helps.
Occasionally you might have to bit the tip off of the peppermint stick.The juice from the lemon will start to flow and you are able to suck it up the peppermint stick.
The peppermint sticks are not a traditional candy cane peppermint stick. This candy stick is semi-porous.
Sarah's Culinary Insight
- I have shipped and sold both the King Leo tin and the King Leo box for our neighborhood's summer fundraiser more summers than I can count, and the tin is the one that survives a July shipment. Boxes have arrived with a broken stick almost every time.
- The peppermint stick has to be the soft, semi-porous style. A hard candy cane will not pull juice, no matter how long you leave it sitting in the lemon.
- Skip the bite-the-tip trick and you can end up sucking on a sealed stick for a full minute wondering why nothing is happening. Bite it, and the juice starts moving in seconds.
- A lemon that feels heavy for its size has more juice packed inside, which means a lemon stick that lasts longer before it dries out at the table.
- These do not hold well once assembled. Cut and insert the stick right before serving; a lemon stick that sits more than an hour gets mushy at the cut and the candy starts bleeding color into the lemon before anyone takes a sip.
Ingredients
- 1 whole (1) Lemon cut in half
- 2 (2) Soft peppermint stick
Instructions
- Slice a lemon in half around the circumference. Some people cut the top third off but I find that the short sticks do better in half a lemon. Also, if this is a fundraiser you have a better profit margin if you can sell 1 vs. the one.1 whole (1) Lemon
- Use a little knife to make a small X in the center of the lemon and press the soft peppermint stick into the center.2 Soft peppermint stick
Nutrition
Notes
I am Sarah Mock. Welcome!
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and a graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 17 years, Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Sherry H says
Should the lemon be refrigerated prior?
Sarah Mock says
I have never refrigerated it prior. But you are more than welcome to! Just be sure to roll it to loosen up the juice.