Icecream Journal

Here’s a little more technical talk for all you die-hard ice cream lovers out there who aspire to someday start your own ice cream factory. This edition of “Ice Cream Dictionary” takles the issue of “overrun.”

Overrun refers to the amount of air that is whipped into the ice cream mixture. For example, an overrun of 100 percent would mean for every gallon of ice cream mix, you get two gallons of finished ice cream. Without this air, the frozen ice cream mix would resemble an ice cube, the same as if you were to freeze milk or any other liquid. This would make the ice cream pretty difficult to scoop and very icy to eat, which would also make for a pretty frustrating dessert experience.

A churning or mixing process during the freezing stage traps air within the liquid and produces the creamy, airy texture. Two good examples of this same process are whipping air into cream to make whipped cream and beating egg whites to make meringue.

The amount of air incorporated into the mix changes the eating attributes of the ice cream. If lower amounts of air are used, the resulting ice cream is dense, heavy and colder. If higher amounts are used, the texture becomes light, creamy and a bit warmer.

To guard against manufacturers making ice cream composed mostly of air and very little cream, overrun is governed by federal standards. The maximum overrun is 100 percent and the finished ice cream cannot weigh less than 4.5 pounds per gallon. There are no limits for creating denser ice cream, however, so you can put in as little overrun as you like.

Whether you prefer a lighter, creamier texture or a denser heavier ice cream is a personal preference. What probably matters more to most ice cream lovers is the quality of the ingredients and the balance of flavors and inclusions.

It’s the classic grocery shopping dilemma: On one end of the store you’ve got produce, on the other is dairy and frozen foods, and somewhere in the middle of it all is the meat. So where do you start and where do you finish to ensure your ice cream doesn’t melt while you’re shopping or during the drive home?

Here’s what we know: Most refrigerated foods can survive a reasonable amount of time in your cart no matter which end you start on. However, if you expect to spend more than 15 or 20 minutes in the store, you should always make the ice cream aisle your last stop before checking out. (Though we’ve heard some people like to wedge meat and other chilled products around the ice cream in their carts to keep them cool during long Saturday afternoon grocery marathons.)

We all know what happens if you take your time with ice cream. It melts and continues melting in the hot trunk of your car faster than a poolside popsicle in July. There a few tricks you can try to make the trip less stressful on your ice cream, though most of them take some pre-planning.

1. Make sure the ice cream is bagged with other frozen or refrigerated items. Together they can all help to keep each other cooler.

2. Place the ice cream (along with a couple of other frozen items) in a paper grocery bag and tightly fold the top over. The bag traps the cooler air and insulates the items better from the outside temperature than a plastic bag.

3. Have an insulated ice chest or bag in your trunk to tuck the ice cream in. Of course if it’s been in your hot trunk the frozen items are going to cool down the interior – so the smaller the better.

Most ice cream contains some ingredients to help with these periods of warmer temperature, but the more you can protect your ice cream, the longer it will taste the way we intended. When that happens, you might get those weird ice crystals (an ice cream affliction called “heat shock”) and sometimes the composition of the ice cream can be affected, making it grainy or a little less creamy than the manufacturer intended.

Not to mention what happens when you want to dig into that ice cream later that evening. We all know what happens next. With ice cream scoop in hand, you discover that your Peanut Butter Ripple is still unusually soft despite spending several hours in your freezer. For some reason, ice cream just isn’t the same when it’s “too soft.” Oh, the trials we endure as ice cream lovers!

Here's a nice festive recipe you may want to try, and since it looks like there's no snow in sight, this might be the next best thing. Feel free to use different ingredients to suit your tastes. The possibilities are pretty much endless and we’d love to hear your ideas!

HOLIDAY ICE CREAM SNOW BALLS

1 qt. Turkey Hill Vanilla Ice Cream, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 tbsp. red and green maraschino cherries, chopped

1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

1/2 cup green and red candy-coated chocolate candies, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the ice cream, extracts, cherries, and pecans. Fold in chocolate candies, reserving some for garnish. Spoon into paper-lined muffin cups and freeze for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with chocolate candies before serving. Makes 8 to 10 cups.

Only nine shopping days til Christmas. So much for “getting it all done in November.”

But don’t worry. Operating under the assumption that pretty much everybody loves ice cream, we’ve assembled the top ice cream-related gifts for this holiday season. Hopefully you’ll find something here for everyone on your shopping list.

THE SPAGHETTI ICE CREAM MAKER – Any machine that makes delicious ice cream look like delicious pasta is okay by us.

L.L. BEAN ICE CREAM BALL – We love this thing (that’s it on the right) because it allows you to make ice cream right in your own living room. We’ve ordered one for ourselves and will write more about it—including pictures of our staff putting it to the test—in a few months.

CURIOUS GEORGE GOES TO AN ICE CREAM SHOP – The synopsis says it all: “Curious George makes a messy mistake while visiting a new ice cream shop, but he redeems himself by attracting customers when he puts together a big sundae in the window.” Maybe it’s just us, but the great thing about Curious George books is that they’re just as fun to read when you’re grown up as they were when you were a kid.

ICE CREAM TOPPING GIFT BOX – Includes four flavors of toppings (including raspberry-fudge and caramel-pecan) and it comes in its own box wrapped with a bow.

KITCHENAID ICE CREAM SPADE – As Ernie would tell you, an ice cream scoop is fine, but an ice cream spade is better. Scoops tend to compress the ice cream and squeeze the air out of it, which can affect the texture while spades treat ice cream with the respect it deserves. Who are we to argue?

FREEZE-DRIED ICE CREAM – Not as good as the real thing, but it’s just like the astronauts eat. Need we say more?

PERSONALIZED ICE CREAM BOWL – With your name on the bowl, no one has an excuse for stealing some of your ice cream while you’re out the room.

TUITION TO PENN STATE’S “ICE CREAM 101” COURSE – For the pros, Penn State offers an advanced course in ice cream making, but this two-day course is open to ice cream lovers everywhere and combines classroom instruction with “hands-on exercises.” Tuition is $550, but hurry, space is limited and classes start January 27.

There are a lot of obscure holidays based on ice cream (most of them in the warmer, summer months), but if you're looking for another reason to celebrate, you'll be happy to know that today is “Ice Cream and Violins Day.”

We searched (and searched and searched) for an explanation of why ice cream and violins are linked on December 13th each year, but our efforts turned up no answers. We were encouraged, however, to find that we're not alone in our quest for the meaning behind this holiday. If anyone has any insight on this seemingly mismatched pairing (or at least wants to venture a guess), feel free to enlighten us with a comment.

Then again, maybe we're over thinking it. Maybe all we really need to do is grab a bowl of cookies & cream, put in a CD of Mozart's finest violin concertos and enjoy the holiday.

Last week we blogged about the history of the ice cream sundae and how many different cities have laid claim to being the inventor of the treat. But it appears that two cities – Ithaca, New York and Two Rivers, Wisconsin – have taken the argument to a new level with a feud that burns to this day.

Two Rivers claims to have invented the sundae in 1881 when a customer at a shop asked for soda syrup on his ice cream. Ithaca says they invented it in 1893 when a local reverend liked his cherry syrup-topped ice cream so much that he named it after the day it was created.

But earlier this year, the argument heated up when Ithaca’s “July Sunday Sundaes” campaign officially proclaimed Ithaca as the birthplace of the ice cream sundae. Ithaca’s mayor, Carolyn Peterson, soon received more than 80 postcards from Two Rivers residents insisting that Ithaca refrain from its claims as the sundae’s inventor. Two Rivers also created their own “Sundae Fight Song,” apparently under the assumption that if they couldn’t prove that they were the birthplace of the sundae, at least they could try to out sing them!

Later, Two Rivers placed a newspaper ad in the Saturday edition of the Ithaca Journal that included a coupon for an official Two Rivers ice cream sundae. The fine print included the line: “By honoring this coupon, I acknowledge that Two Rivers is the REAL birthplace of the ice cream sundae.”

Not to be outdone, Ithaca fired back by placing an ad in the Thursday, Friday and Saturday edition of the Two Rivers newspaper which contained a reprint of a 19th century ad about Ithaca’s famous “Cherry Sunday.” The bottom of the ad read simply: “Dear Two Rivers, Got Proof? We do. Love, Ithaca.”

The first month of the Turkey Hill blog is on the books and, as promised, we chose four comments at random to receive a little token of our appreciation for your involvement.

This month's prize is free Turkey Hill Ice Cream, but future prizes might include ice cream related products that we review on the Ice Cream Journal. November winners are:

• Tom K. from Toms River, New Jersey

• Jessica E. from Browns Summit, North Carolina

Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. December appears to be a busy month, but we've got lots of things in mind to talk about. We’re taking notes from the comments you’ve been leaving, so if you've got any ideas for topics on the Ice Cream Journal, just let us know!

Those ice crystals that form on ice cream that’s been in the freezer too long? That’s heat shock.

HOW IT HAPPENS

Heat shock occurs when ice cream is allowed to melt — even a little bit — and refreeze. When this happens, water molecules in the ice cream can join together to form larger ice crystals, which can give the ice cream an icy, grainy texture. (The addition of stabilizers to the ice cream formula can help keep these water molecules from joining forces.) Each time this warming and refreezing cycle happens, the ice cream experiences more heat shock, which is often called “freezer burn”.

Heat shock can occur during the shipping process, which is why all Turkey Hill Ice Cream is closely monitored and cared for, from our plant to the grocery store. It can also happen while stocking at the store and in the freezers at your store.

Heat shock can also happen at home. Ice crystals around the edges of ice cream are one of the first signs. This can also occur in ice cream that is kept in a freezer for very long periods of time. One of the most common causes is storing ice cream in a home freezer that has an automatic defrost cycle. During the defrost cycle the temperature rises too high to keep the ice cream frozen but doesn't affect things like meat and waffles because the have a higher freezing point and a more solid consistency.

HOW TO PREVENT IT

The best storage temperature for ice cream in your home is -10 degrees fahrenheit. It's hard to get a freezer/refrigerator freezer area that cold. The best place to store your ice cream is in your deep freeze if you have one. If not, the next best plan is to eat fast so the ice cream isn't stored for a long period of time.

WHAT TO DO WHEN HEAT SHOCK STRIKES

If your chocolate chip cookie dough is a victim of heat shock, don't panic. Simply scrape away the ice crystals and some of the surface area around them, and give the remaining ice cream a taste. In most cases, the ice cream will be fine, though maybe not as high quality as fresh, store-bought ice cream. In cases of extreme or repeated heat shock, you might have to discard the entire container and buy a new one. We know, it's hard to do, and it feels a little like giving a pet goldfish a “burial at sea,” but it has to be done.