Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

All About Ice Cream

by Theresa Carpine7/21/2008 3:15:30 PM

Happy National Ice Cream Month!

When else would you celebrate National Ice Cream Month but in July, smack dab in the middle of summer when nothing cools you off quicker (and fills you up faster) than this frozen treat? Whether you like it on a stick, in a cone, or right out of the carton, ice cream is one of the United States’ most popular desserts, enjoyable no matter what age you are. Unless you happen to be lactose-intolerant; in that case, you have my deepest sympathy.

The invention of ice cream has no definitive date or source, although the International Dairy Foods Association posits several theories. Fruits, nuts, and honey were reportedly served with ice in ancient Persia and for Roman Emperor Nero in the first century, but these non-dairy desserts are more like a sorbet than ice cream. Another story proposes that Italian explorer Marco Polo brought an early recipe for ice cream back from China. Ice cream as we know it became available to the public in Europe in the 17th century, while it was first advertised for sale in the United States in 1777.

To make ice cream, dairy products, like milk and cream, are combined with sweeteners and then frozen. You have to stir the concoction to keep large ice crystals from forming, and most methods to make ice cream mix salt with the ice to lower its freezing point, so the ice cream is smooth and creamy for eating.

In the days before refrigeration, ice cream was reserved for the elite who could afford to cut large blocks of ice from frozen lakes in the winter for storage in insulated ice houses during the summer. It also had to be made by hand until a hand-cranked churn was patented in 1843.

When ice cream began being mass produced in the mid-nineteenth century, the cost to make ice cream dropped and its popularity grew. With the continuous-process freezer perfected in 1926, the ice cream industry was able to ship their frozen goods around the country. It even became popular to transport ice cream for individual distribution to neighborhood kids. For nearly everyone, the sounds of summer are forever associated with the melodious tunes of the ice cream truck.

In case you’re still curious about this mythic and tantalizing dessert, you can find more fun Ice Cream Facts from the IDFA, like the most popular flavor (vanilla, obviously) and some creative ice cream recipes (the Seven Layer Sundae sounds like something that Buddy the Elf would definitely enjoy eating) to try out at home.