{"id":15561,"date":"2016-07-15T10:46:14","date_gmt":"2016-07-15T14:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=15561"},"modified":"2023-10-26T11:48:41","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T15:48:41","slug":"celebrating-national-ice-cream-day-you-scream-for-ice-cream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/celebrating-national-ice-cream-day-you-scream-for-ice-cream.html","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating National Ice Cream Day: You Scream for Ice Cream"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article \u2013 just in time to celebrate National Ice Cream Day this Sunday \u2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega gives a brief history of ice cream and provides some delicious ice cream recipes she found in old newspapers. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.<\/span>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Are you ready for some ice cream? My guess is that the increasing summer heat will make the answer to that question a resounding YES! Ice cream may seem like a more recent dessert choice because of the need for freezers \u2013 but you may be surprised to learn that your 18th century ancestors also enjoyed ice cream.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: ice cream dessert. Credit: Lotus Head; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ice Cream History 101<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ice cream has evolved from earlier desserts made of sweetened ices. Alexander the Great ate sweet-flavored snow and ices centuries before the Roman Empire\u2019s Nero Claudius Caesar (A.D. 54-86) consumed snow flavored with fruits and juices.*<\/p>\n

Now those treats sound more like modern-day \u201csnow cones\u201d and less like the ice cream dairy desserts we are familiar with, so you may be wondering which generation of your ancestors ate something similar to the ice cream of today. If we search old newspapers, like GenealogyBank\u2019s online Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, we can pinpoint when the words \u201cice cream\u201d started appearing in print in the United States.<\/p>\n

In November 1773 Rivington\u2019s New York Gazetteer<\/em> announced the arrival from London of \u201cMonsieur Lenzi Confectioner.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Aside from the candy he had available, Lenzi also offered \u201cice cream and fruits.\u201d No specific flavors are mentioned.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Rivington\u2019s New York Gazetteer (New York, New York), 25 November 1773, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lenzi\u2019s newspaper advertisements for ice cream continued. In 1777 Lenzi was advertising his various fruits, cakes, jellies and even preserved milk, as well as \u201cice cream of what sort they will please to order.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Rivington\u2019s New-York Loyal Gazette (New York, New York), 8 November 1777, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By 1829, readers could find \u201creceipts\u201d (an early word for recipe) for ice cream in the newspaper. The following recipe provides a base made from boiling eggs, cream, and sugar that could be flavored with anything from \u201clemon, rose, venilli [sic], strawberries, chocolate, &c. as you like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Eastern Argus (Portland, Maine), 5 June 1829, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Understandably, ice cream remained a rare treat until technological advances made the storage of ice cream more affordable and widely available. Eventually, as the frozen dessert became more popular, variations on flavors and ways to serve ice cream evolved to include sundaes and ice cream cones.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Daily Nebraska Press (Nebraska City, Nebraska), 29 August 1876, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unique Flavors<\/strong><\/p>\n

How willing are you to try more unusual ice cream flavors? While we tend to think of ice cream flavored with chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, there are more interesting sweet as well as savory flavors available.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, New Jersey), 13 April 1970, page 22<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I was a child I begged and pleaded with my parents to let me try bubble gum ice cream. Like most parents, they initially said no and told me that I wouldn\u2019t enjoy it, but I persisted. I couldn\u2019t understand why anyone wouldn\u2019t like bubble gum ice cream. Well as you can probably guess, I didn\u2019t like it. The multitasking required to eat the ice cream and chew the bubble gum at the same time was too much for me.<\/p>\n

Like bubble gum ice cream, other unique ice cream flavors exist. In some cases, ice cream makers get creative and concoct flavors that are more savory than sweet. One example is the garlic ice cream that can be found at the Gilroy (California) Garlic Festival. Another flavor that might not be familiar to most of us is found in the following Texas newspaper article. Winning recipes of a 1982 ice cream recipe contest are featured, including a recipe for Avocado Sherbet for which the writer states: \u201cIt sounds odd but tastes lightly wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Dallas Morning News ((Dallas, Texas), 1 July 1982, page 103<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ice Cream Desserts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Besides making your own ice cream, you can take store-bought ice cream and craft your own desserts. This 1992 newspaper article includes such favorites as Baked Alaska, Banana Split, and Mud Pie.<\/p>\n

(At the end of this article, I\u2019ll enlarge these recipes so that you can try them at home.)<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas), 11 March 1992, page 81<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My Favorite Flavor<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not too picky when it comes to ice cream \u2013 but if I had to choose, my favorite flavor is Rocky Road. Rocky Road has an interesting history, as documented in this newspaper article honoring the 65th anniversary of the creation. According to the article, the founders of Dreyer\u2019s Grand Ice Cream experimented by adding almonds and marshmallows to ice cream. Because there were no mini marshmallows in 1929 they ended up using their wives\u2019 sewing scissors to cut the marshmallows to size!<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Georgia), 7 December 1994, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What\u2019s your favorite flavor of ice cream? Do you prefer to stop by the store for a half gallon, down to the ice cream store for a cone, or make your dessert at home? I\u2019d love to hear your favorites in the comments section below.<\/p>\n

And now, as promised, here are some of those delicious ice cream recipes:<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas), 11 March 1992, page 81<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas), 11 March 1992, page 81<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas), 11 March 1992, page 81<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas), 11 March 1992, page 81<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

—————————<\/p>\n

* The History of Ice Cream. International Dairy Foods Association.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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