Cool off this summer with Ice Cream!

July is National Ice Cream month. Did you know that 98 percent of American households consume ice cream annually? Ice cream is enjoyed in a variety of ways, from sundaes to parfaits, milkshakes to floats. And who can forget the ever-popular ice cream cone?

With a multitude of flavors and toppings available today, there is a scoop out there to serve everyone’s tastes. Celebrate July as National Ice Cream Month by grabbing a scoop or two today.

Ice cream in its simplest form is made from cream, sweetener and flavoring. The unique creamy texture of ice cream is produced by rapidly freezing and mixing methods. For homemade ice cream, this is done in an ice-cream freezer with paddles that mix in air while chilling. In a commercial freezer, blades or “dashers” mix and aerate the ice cream. When the ice cream becomes partially frozen with small crystals and agitation incorporates air into the mixture, increasing the volume. Aeration of ice cream helps to keep it soft enough to scoop. But if too much is added, it can become undesirable.

To keep your ice cream at its best, store it in the freezer away from the door to prevent repeated melting and re-freezing.

America’s favorite flavor is vanilla with chocolate in a close second. Today there are a wide range of flavors, including some unique ones with more of a savory profile, available to try.

Want to know more?

Ice cream’s origin is uncertain, though Marco Polo brought a recipe for a frozen dessert home from the Orient. In the United States, the first written reference to ice cream is a description of strawberry ice cream enjoyed in Maryland in 1744.

Fun facts about the founding fathers include that George Washington spent more than $200 on the treat during the summer of 1790 – a very expense dessert during that time. Thomas Jefferson has been credited with introducing the “French style” ice cream made with eggs to America.

July Ice Cream Month was officially declared by Ronald Reagan on July 10, 1984.

Wondering how you can best celebrate this month? First, take a trip on Pennsylvania’s Ice Cream Trail, featuring Pennsylvania produced ice cream. We are fortunate to have one trail stop featured with Manning’s Farm and Dairy. There are also several other ice cream shops featuring local dairy.

Make sure to stay cool this summer and celebrate dairy’s best summertime treat ice cream.