Beach days elude the astronaut. No need for a bikini, flip-flops or sunscreen out there. The space professional does pack ice cream — at least in the museum gift-shop version of the job.

It’s always a slab of Neapolitan — pink, white and brown layers foil-wrapped and freeze-dried. One Styrofoam-crisp bite collapses into a mouthful of powder. Dissuading many a young scientist.

Freeze-dried does have advantages over other methods of dehydration. Consider the cheerful grape, sun-dried into grumpy raisin: Proof. Consider the strawberry. Subjected to the low temps and low-pressure atmosphere of the freeze-drier, its water sublimates away, leaving fruit that’s light, bright and intensely flavored. Rehydrated, it can punch up a strawberry pop — one that’s made with real berries, really frozen and really stuck to a stick.

Unmolded and savored on a sunny day, it tastes of nothing but summer — here on Earth.

STRAWBERRY FROZEN POPS

By Leah Eskin

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 ounce freeze-dried strawberry slices (look near the raisins in stores; Target carries the Simply Balanced brand)
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled
• 1 cup regular coconut milk
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract

In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar and water. Boil 2 minutes. Drop in dried berries; stir. Pull pan off heat, cover and let cool, about 1 hour.

Slice 4 or 5 fresh strawberries into thin rounds; set aside.

Heap remaining whole, hulled berries into a blender. Pour in dried berry mixture. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Press through a fine-mesh strainer into a 1-quart measuring cup with a spout. Discard seeds. Whisk in coconut milk and almond extract. Stir in fresh sliced berries.

Pour into frozen pop molds. Stab in sticks. Freeze until firm, overnight.

To serve, run mold under warm water about 15 seconds. Gently pull pops free. Makes 8 1/2-cup frozen pops.

Nutritional information unavailable.