Summer Ice Cream Fun

We’re not exactly the first people to feel that way. We know that Alexander the Great enjoyed snow and ice that was flavored with honey and nectar. Biblical references also show that King Solomon was fond of iced drinks during harvesting. During the Roman Empire, Nero Claudius Caesar (C.E. 54-86) frequently sent runners into the mountains for snow, which he had flavored with fruits and juices. The first advertisement for ice cream in this country appeared in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, when confectioner Philip Lenzi announced that ice cream was available "almost every day." Records kept by a Chatham Street, New York, merchant show that President George Washington spent approximately $200 for ice cream during the summer of 1790.

So we’re in good company! But when you arrive at the frozen-dessert section here at Bliss Shurfine Food Mart, you may find yourself a little confused. Ice cream and frozen desserts come in many flavors and types. Whether the flavor is vanilla (which, by the way, is still America’s favorite!), chocolate, Heath Bar or cookie dough, ice cream and its related products come in many different forms:

• Ice Cream consists of a mixture of dairy ingredients (milk and nonfat milk), and ingredients for sweetening and flavoring, (fruits, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.) Functional ingredients like stabilizers and emulsifiers are often included in the product to promote proper texture and enhance the eating experience. By federal law, ice cream must contain at least 10 percent milkfat before the addition of bulky ingredients, and must weigh a minimum of 4.5 pounds to the gallon.
• Frozen Custard, also known as French ice cream, also has to contain a minimum of 10 percent milkfat and at least 1.4 percent egg-yolk solids.
• Sherberts have a milkfat content of between one and two percent, and weigh a minimum of six pounds to the gallon. They are flavored either with fruit or other characterizing ingredients.
• Gelato is characterized by an intense flavor and is served in a semi-frozen state that is similar to "soft serve" ice cream. Italian-style gelato is denser than ice cream, since it has less air in the product. Typically, gelato has more milk than cream and also contains sweeteners, egg yolks and flavoring.
• Sorbet and Water Ices are similar to sherbets, but contain no dairy ingredients.
• Frozen Yogurt consists of a mixture of dairy ingredients such as milk and nonfat milk that have been cultured, as well as ingredients for sweetening and flavoring.
• Novelties are separately packaged single servings of a frozen dessert -- such as ice cream sandwiches, fudge sticks and juice bars -- that may or may not contain dairy ingredients.

No matter what product you choose, we have it at Bliss Shurfine Food Mart in Manchester and Shortsville NY. Why not stop in today and try some of them out?