June 21st, 2007 | Category: General
SECOND SCOOP - ASK ERNIE: WHAT HAPPENS TO LEFTOVER ICE CREAM?
Posted by: Turkey Hill Team
This post originally appeared back in February, but it was such a fun topic, we decided to post it again. Also, feel free to check out Phil Lempert’s ode to ice cream over on MSNBC.com.
Jessica E. from Browns Summit, NC asks:
After the ice cream is cut in half with the big knife, does the dissected ice cream then get thrown out, or does someone get to eat it?
What a great question! I assume you are referring to the daily cutting of ice cream that is done to check the quality of the ice cream made the day before.
As each new flavor is made, someone marks the first and last “saleable” package made. Saleable would mean that they felt all the ice cream and ingredients were filling the package in proper amounts. The marked containers then travel through the blast freezer and are set aside by the palletizing crew the next day. This is the product that is tested during the “ice cream cutting” process.
It begins by evaluating the outside of the package, removing the cover, and using the double spoon method to taste the product. The package is then cut in half using a very large and sharp knife. It is then evaluated visually to make sure all the inclusions (fudge, pecans, cherries, cookies, cookie dough, etc.) are dispersed evenly. By now the ice cream is almost nearly destroyed, and is disposed of by placing it into a bin labeled “Food Grade Waste.”
But there is a happy end to this story, because the leftover ice cream isn’t just thrown away. The ice cream, along with other remnant ice cream produced that day, is accumulated, diluted with water, and tested for butterfat and total food solids. It is then sent to a nearby farm where it is blended with dry feed and fed to the ever-hungry pigs. Pretty lucky pigs!
Thanks for your question!
Ernie
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If you’ve got a technical question about the ice cream making process or some other inquiry about the nuances of America’s favorite treat, chances are Ernie has the answer. He might not be able to answer all questions, but he’ll try his best and some may be featured on the Ice Cream Journal.
42 Comments
My favorite meal is vanills frozen yogurt and fresh summer fruit.
December 18th, 2007 at 5:07 amTurkey Hill vanilla frozen yogurt is the best ice cream in the world.
December 18th, 2007 at 5:05 amHey Ernie,
July 8th, 2007 at 10:55 pmI have a Scotty and a Westie (dogs)here that each get my last two spoons of Turkey Hill at night (well, not any with chocolate)they say : “could we get a couple of doggie bags from you?”
We all love your ice cream so please keep up the good work!
What leftover ice cream? I’m looking for seconds!
July 6th, 2007 at 11:25 pmTRurkey Hill Dairy is A-1!!!!
July 5th, 2007 at 8:11 pmHi!I never knew about the cutting and checking. I guess it is one less question for my long list of what to ask God when I get to Heaven. And now, I no longer have to ponder if all the additions get evenly mixed and distributed through out the whole tub of ice cream. I love symmetry and hate seeing it unevenly or haphazardly plopped in just any old way…So Thanks! Now I know “the rest of the story.” I wouldn’t mind knowing how you do that, but I suppose it’s probably a top secret.
July 5th, 2007 at 7:46 pmI grew up with Turkey Hill ice cream, and still love to try the new flavors that keep coming out, my son loves the Peanut Butter Tandy Cake.
July 5th, 2007 at 4:38 pmi never have any leftover ice cream - sorry piggies…and when Acme has their two-for-one sale on Turkey Hill, within a day the store is wiped clean of any trace of that Lancaster County goodness…ooo, speaking of which - why not shooflypie ice cream!
July 5th, 2007 at 2:45 pmAnd I’m impressed with how serious you are about this! Once I bought a gallon of Vanilla Fudge Ripple with no ripple and you sent me coupons to try again! Success, and now we’re addicted to Chocolate Cherry Cordial–yum!!
July 5th, 2007 at 12:12 amPigs are my favorite animal (sorry Turkey Hill cow) and ice cream is my favorite food. Love the fact that the pigs are getting fed ice cream!!!
July 4th, 2007 at 9:27 amI love cherry vanilla. Keep it coming and I will keep on buying and eating!
July 3rd, 2007 at 9:45 pmIt looks like the fourth of July will be a little chilly here in Bucks COunty but I’m still going to celebrate with a backyard Bar B Que, Turkey Hill Ice Cream and fireworks. It will be a great fourth!!!!!!!!!
July 3rd, 2007 at 11:22 amWhen I come back I hope I’m a pig on your farm.
July 2nd, 2007 at 5:24 pmI love your low carb products. Keep up the good work.
July 2nd, 2007 at 5:21 pmMy husband would like to say, if you need to hire any ice cream tasters he will be glad to join your crew. It might save you guys time and money on leftovers.
July 2nd, 2007 at 4:33 pmLove many Turkey Hill flavors,but the best since you started making it is PARTY CAKE the best ever please,keep making it!!!!!!!!!!
July 1st, 2007 at 11:45 amI think this is fastenating! I wish I were a pig!
July 1st, 2007 at 10:50 amThanks Ernie!!
July 1st, 2007 at 10:04 amI love egg nog flavor ice cream too! It is best with T. Hill Egg Nog in the blender,to die for egg nog shake
July 1st, 2007 at 12:27 amTurkey Hill ice cream is not sold everywhere, but it is the creamiest and yummiest ice cream with greatvariety, including my favorite Egg Nog flavor at holiday times. The only flavor I have not seen is green pistachio ice cream, which I used to eat from Ho Jo’s and Friendly’s.
At least we’ll know the pigs are healthy and not just eating scraps, so they will be healthier for us to eat….the pigs that is.
June 30th, 2007 at 9:57 pmI hear they do the same thing with left over candy in PA. They sell it to cow farmers. What kind of fertilizer would that make? Haha.
June 30th, 2007 at 6:50 pmI love them all but the Commotions are may favorite!
June 29th, 2007 at 11:36 pmI love your ice cream! It’s the best ever! How about a coupon?
June 29th, 2007 at 10:40 pmOink! Oink!! I just finished a bowl of Turkey Hill Ice Cream and I am so jealous of those pigs that get the leftovers — at my house, there is no such thing as a Turkey Hill leftover! Those are really gourmet pigs with all of the yummy flavors — they don’t even have to go to the grocery store and stare into the freezer case trying to decide which flavor to buy!
June 29th, 2007 at 10:31 pmTurkey Hill Ice Cream is my favorite, and my dog and cat have also inherited my passion for ice cream. Every nite before bed I get a bowl for myself, along side me at the counter is both of my animals waiting for there share of the delight of the wounderful taste of Turkey Hill ice cream. Share and Share alike I say,don’t be stingy your animals love Turkey Hill TOOOO!!
June 29th, 2007 at 6:43 pmThat’s great to see that it doesn’t go to waste. There is always too much waste.
June 29th, 2007 at 5:56 pmWe love Turkey Hill here. There’s a few flavor of the month’s that we wish we could make sit longer in the freezer. We stock up anyway!
what a kind find for the lucky swine!
June 29th, 2007 at 4:51 pmWe love all flavors and consider them the best!
I heard that another ice cream maker also gives the left-over ice cream to the local farmers to feed the pigs. They like all the flavors except Mint Chocolate Chip.
June 29th, 2007 at 4:41 pmDo these pigs have a similar dislike for a particular flavor?
So many flavors to choose from and we love them all.
June 29th, 2007 at 4:18 pmUse to buy ice cream shop brands until we found Turkey Hill! Love it! As a matter of fact, my 78 year old mom will eat no other brand - especially love the chocolate!
June 29th, 2007 at 2:40 pmThis gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “hog heaven”–thanks for the smile!
June 29th, 2007 at 2:21 pmThese are very lucky “pigs”. All others including - us humans - are being gaged with corn/ or derivatives of - in almost every product you now consume. This is without the knowledge of most. Look at any thing you it or even drink. Now ask the question - Is it the Engineered Corn that all foreign countries refused and is now force fed to us ?
June 29th, 2007 at 2:15 pmPS: if you haven’t had Party Cake ice cream and are a major ice cream addict, please give it a try. Soooo good!
June 29th, 2007 at 1:53 pmThis question about leftover ice cream struck me funny (for REAL) until I realized what they entire question was .. I thought someone was asking about leftover ice cream at home and since a box of ice cream lasts 3 days tops at my house the idea of leftovers was funny.
June 29th, 2007 at 1:51 pmLoved your ice cream even before our favorite grocer finally started stocking it. Kudos!!!
June 29th, 2007 at 1:04 pmTalking about pigging out– we both love every flavor of Turkey Hill and think it’s the BEST- but– we live in the Myrtle Beach, S.C. area and can’t find it here– sooooo– when we get back to Pa to visit our kids they have their freezers full of every flavor you can think of and WE REALLY PIG OUT!
June 29th, 2007 at 12:08 pmWell, now I know I am not the only one “pigging” out on ice cream. I hope they enjoy it as much as I do.
June 29th, 2007 at 11:27 amWell, I’m thinking the PB Ripple isn’t getting proper testing. Everytime I buy it, there is just one big blop of PB in the middle and plain vanilla ice cream surrounding it. You have to take a knife and cut pieces off of it.
On the plus side, the mint chocolate chip is the best on the market. No one can tell me different, I’ve tasted them all!
Sandi
June 29th, 2007 at 10:54 amI love your ice cream, especially the cherry vanilla! Keep it coming…
June 29th, 2007 at 10:39 amGee, I’ll look at pork in a whole new way now….
June 29th, 2007 at 10:15 amGlad you liked them Adrian! Throughout the rest of the summer look for our other featured flavors like German Chocolate Cake, Peaches & Cream, and our featured frozen yogurt flavor, Blueberry Muffin.
June 22nd, 2007 at 10:32 amThanks for the info Ernie.
I just want to say that the Southern Lemon Pie and the Fried Ice Cream feature flavors were awesome- big hits down here with your Piedmont Triad NC fans.
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