I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
As summer comes to an end, the popularity of our favorite summer treat of ice cream begins to wane. At my house, ice cream is always in the freezer – winter, spring, summer and fall. However, it seems that homemade ice cream is made most often in the summer. Ice cream has been around since the Roman Empire.
When my son was young, there was an ice cream truck that came to where we live in Cruger and we loved hearing that music and ringing of the bell. Many times, there would be a crowd at the pool and he would pull right in the driveway. I always made sure we had some cash in the pool house. I did not want to see those disappointed faces. The first ice cream truck was driven by Harry Burt around 1920.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan recognized that ice cream is a fun and nutritious food that is enjoyed by over 90% of America’s population. He created July 17th as National Ice Cream Day and the month of July as National Ice Cream Month.
President Reagan wasn’t the only American president who had a liking for ice cream. Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten recipe for his favorite vanilla ice cream is on display in the Library of Congress. George Washington spent $700 during the summer of 1790 on ice cream. He and his wife, Martha, always served ice cream to their guests at Mount Vernon.
*Americans eat an average of 20 quarts of ice cream a year.
*Vanilla is the most popular flavor, with chocolate a close second.
*The largest ice cream cone created measured 9 feet 2.63 inches and was made in 2012 at an ice cream festival in Italy.
*The ice cream cone was invented in 1904 at the World’s Fair in St. Louis.
*Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream boasts a whopping 46 flavors.
*June is the month that most ice cream is produced.
*Americans consume about 1.53 billion gallons of ice cream and frozen ice cream products.
*The central region of the United States – the Midwest – produces the most ice cream in the United States – about 726 million gallons a year.
*9% of all milk produced in the United States is used for making ice cream.
*The largest ice cream sundae, weighing in at 24 tons, was created in 1988 at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
*It takes about 50 licks to finish the average ice cream cone.
Today I have some homemade ice cream recipes. Hope you will give them a try. Thanks for reading.
MAE MAE’S HOMEMADE ORANGE SHERBERT
2 cans Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 liter bottle of orange soda
1 large can pineapple juice
Pour Eagle Brand directly in the ice cream cylinder. Pour the soda and pineapple juice, at the same time, until you reach the fill line. Freeze according to ice cream maker directions.
*You can add a flat can of crushed pineapple for something a little different. The first time I tried it, I really liked it. My boys had a fit and made me promise never to mess with the original recipe again!
EASY CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
2 cans Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 gallon chocolate milk (May not use entire gallon)
1 (16 oz.) Cool Whip
Mix all ingredients in ice cream cylinder. Freeze according to ice cream maker directions.
*This tastes a great deal like Wendy’s Frosty.
CHERRY VANILLA ICE CREAM
½ gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
1 (10 oz.) jar red maraschino cherries, chopped (save 2 Tablespoons juice)
1 (10 oz.) pkg. coconut macaroons, crushed
For garnish: Whole maraschino cherries with stems
In a bowl, stir together ice cream, cherries, cherry juice, and crushed macaroons. Place in a plastic container with a cover and freeze. When ready to serve, scoop into balls and serve with whole cherries.
*My all-time favorite ice cream was Luvel Cherry Vanilla. I loved that red and yellow bucket that contained what I considered the best ice cream ever.
