by Kathy Harlan
We live in an era of sophisticated and wonderful desserts. Think
crème brûlée, chocolate mousse, pear jalousie, Key Lime pie, or turtle
cheesecake. For Americans “of a certain age,” however, a bowl of pure,
rich, luscious ice cream remains on the ultimate dessert list. Many
can remember their first spoonful of the sweet, tingling, icy treat; the
excitement of nearing “the ice cream store” on a family outing; and the
anticipation when the first tinkling notes from the ice cream cart were
heard down the street.
A wooden bucket freezer with rotary handles was patented 160 years
ago. Nancy Johnson invented the freezer but, not having enough money
to develop it, she sold the rights for $200. It took to a new level the
mixtures of ice and cream that had been enjoyed in different forms since
the middle ages. The discovery that ice mixed with salt would lower the
temperature of the ingredients and produce an even consistency was
essential.
Fourth of July picnics were the scene of yearly ice cream feasts in the
early 20th century. Adults would fill a metal cylinder with cream and
sugar and eggs, put it in the wooden bucket packed with ice and thick
salt crystals, and begin turning the handle that was attached to curved
wooden paddles. The kids would fight to get in line to turn the handle,
only to discover at their turn that it was hard work, and a few minutes
was enough. But the payoff was worth it. There was never enough in the
cylinder, so the servings were small, and youngsters raced to get back in
line for the soft, tasty spoonfuls melting in the bottom.
The development of mechanical refrigeration took ice cream from
backyard picnics to local drugstores and beyond. People used to choosing
from 51 flavors, or the flavor of the month, or seasonal specialties,
cannot imagine the difficulty that went into choosing vanilla, chocolate
or strawberry. Kids would stand in a drugstore with noses up against
the glass case, gripping tight on the nickel, and weighing the virtues
of the “new” flavors compared to the traditional, but enticing vanilla.
Somehow, a parent paying $3.00 for a cone of Bubble Gum ice cream for
a child used to exotic flavors doesn’t have the same thrill.
What makes iced cream “ice cream”? Federal standards require that
any frozen dessert called “ice cream” have a minimum of 10% butterfat;
super-premium ice cream requires 16% butterfat. This might lead to the
erroneous assumption that the higher the butterfat the better the ice
cream. Good quality ingredients are just as important as butterfat, as are
production techniques. Some ice creams are pumped so full of air and
whipped for volume that the loss of flavor reflects the shortcomings of
that technique.
Texas Flavors
Ice cream ranks right up there with barbecue, steak, gulf coast shrimp
and fajitas in a discussion of Texas’ most enticing foods. Many Texans
believe that ice cream can be summed up in two mouth-watering words – Blue Bell. But there are others who sing the praises of nationally
distributed Marble Slab and rave about regional favorites including
Amy’s and Hank’s.
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