FRANKLIN GROVE — When someone’s got a hankering for a cold treat on a hot summer day, Kate Gross doesn’t head for the freezer and pop open a box of store-bought sweets. She heads to the kitchen to make her own, and in doing so she’s managed to create her own little cottage industry.

Gross is the Ms. of Ms. Mint’s Pop Shop, peddling popsicles she makes from the kitchen of her Franklin Grove home and sells at pop-up markets, special events, and private gatherings.

Like other cottage food operations in the state, Gross can boast that her treats are homemade — some with ingredients from her own garden and some from locally sourced produce.

“I have always loved popsicles,” Gross said. “There’s a lot you can do with popsicles. I’ll find ideas elsewhere and will come up with my own.”

And she’s done a lot.

From her cottage kitchen, she creates a wide variety of fun flavors and colorful creations that not only please the palate, but put a smile on people’s faces — that is, when they can stop long enough from licking her popsicles.

The ingredients she uses may sound familiar enough, but when she puts them together she creates a whole new world for people’s tastebuds to explore, such as strawberry lemonade and watermelon honey lime (her two most popular sellers, she said), honey pina colada, blueberry peach, salted caramel apple, chocolate peanut butter cup, strawberry peach basil and blueberry lavender lemon. She makes a pumpkin pie flavor in the fall, and if you want something that’s a little cold and spicy, how about a mango lime jalapeno? She even mixes in some of her own homegrown herbs and veggies, such as rhubarb.

With so many flavors to choose from — and more to come — it’s no wonder customers keep coming back for more, some to try something new and others to revisit an old favorite.

“I love that I can be creative, and that you don’t have to follow a recipe,” Gross said. “There’s a lot of play involved, and I enjoy it and have so much fun doing that. My customers will get real excited to ask what I have that’s different.”

While making popsicles is a fun side hustle, it’s not Gross’ primary job — she’s a field inspector for Bradford Mutual Fire Insurance in Franklin Grove. Her gig as Ms. Mint has been a fun way to meet new people and see their joy when they try a new flavor for the first time.

“I enjoy having my own business,” Gross said. “I love being able to add to an event. People come to them to raise their vibration and spend time with their friends and family. They’ll go to a market because it’s a different experience and you can get all of these things, and you can talk to the person who made it so that you know all about it and all of the ingredients. It’s been real exciting for me, and it soothes my personality and interests.”

Gross’ nickname of “Ms. Mint” came from a love for mint — she drinks peppermint tea every day, she said — and her preference of Ms. as a title for women. She came to Franklin Grove from the Chicago area 10 years ago, but when she first settled in town she wasn’t making popsicles, she was making fashion statements with a twist: wire-twist head bands. After a couple of years, though, she was itching to try something new. That’s when she learned about making popsicles. It was a great way to combine her appreciation of fresh produce with making something fun to eat.

“I was looking around for something to do that would suit me,” Gross said. “It’s a sweet spot, having a product that you love making that people enjoy.”

Success didn’t come overnight, but it didn’t take long for word of popsicle-filled mouth to get around and she was able to grow her business, adding commercial equipment that allowed her to turn out more treats and different sizes. That in turn led to more stops for her pops — more places like markets and events where she could share her passion for all-natural, freshly made popsicles.

The equipment was “the smallest I could find that suited my needs, and I could make a lot more pops, more flavors and be at more events,” she said. “That’s been a game changer, and it’s been so much fun.” It also allowed her to make popsicles in smaller sizes for customers who just want a “tasting size,” she said.

“You get the benefits of fresh fruit, and sometimes the herbs that I use in them which have health benefits,” Gross said. “They’re a good size and they’re not that big, so even if you indulge a little bit, you’re not getting a crazy amount of sugar. It’s a perfect treat, and having them ready to go at a hot event in the summer has been a big success for me.”

Gross’ first event this year was the Spring Fling at Woodhaven Lakes in late April, and her schedule runs until October. She announces her events on Ms. Mint’s Facebook and Instagram websites. Last year’s appearances saw her bring her treats to Ashton, DeKalb, Dixon, Oregon, Princeton, Rochelle, Rock Falls, and at Jonamac Orchard in Malta, where she’s used apples in some of her popsicles. She’s also a reoccurring vendor at farmers markets in DeKalb and Oregon.

It’s a fun journey for the part-time popsicle producer — and if you’ve ever wondered how a cold popsicle could warm someone’s heart, just ask Gross. For her, the treats have been a treat, allowing her to tap into her creativity and see the happiness her icy inspirations bring people. It’s an experience that’s been worth, well, a mint.

“It’s really fun to go to different places and see different people, and seeing people come back every year and be really excited about what I have,” Gross said. “I’ve seen kids grow up. It’s been a lot of fun. I’m really grateful for everyone who has supported my business over the years, and when I’ve been able to grow it, and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Find Ms. Mint’s Pop Shop on Facebook and Instagram (@msmintspopshop) for more information and a calendar of events that the Franklin Grove business will make appearances.