Here’s a blast from the past. This entry first appeared on the Ice Cream Journal back in April, but it seemed due for a comeback considering how the presidential race has been heating up lately. By the way, congrats to any Penn State fans out there on the team’s big win this weekend. We’re sure the PSU Creamery was busy after that game.
A while ago we wrote about Penn State University’s “Ice Cream University” course. Not coincidentally, Penn State University Park (main campus) is also home to the world’s largest university creamery. The Creamery makes ice cream, milk and cheese, which it sells to the public and also produces for the campus’s dining halls.
The Creamery uses 4.5 million gallons of milk annually, half of which comes from a herd of 225 cows at the University’s Dairy Production Research Center. They also sell 750,000 hand-dipped ice cream cones each year to students, alumni and other campus visitors.
Over the years, the Creamery has attracted several famous customers, including President Clinton, Tom Ridge, Lynn Swann, Bob Costas, Martha Stewart and, of course, Penn State University football coach Joe Paterno (on several occasions, we’d imagine). Normally, the Creamery doesn’t allow customers to mix two flavors on the same cone, but in 1996 they made an exception for President Clinton when he requested Cherry Quist and Peachy Paterno. That’s him on the left enjoying his combo. There’s something about a world leader eating an ice cream cone that looks kind of funny, isn’t there? Penn State President Graham Spanier (left in photo) must agree.
A big part of the ice cream’s appeal lies in its super premium butterfat content of 14.1 percent, which makes for a very rich dessert. Here’s a listing of available Creamery flavors. Over 100 ice cream, sherbet and frozen yogurt varieties in all. That’s a different flavor every two weeks for an entire four year undergraduate stay!
Loading ...
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.
Every yr, the city of McKeesport, PA, has a food festival, International Village. All the local churches spend months making food pertaining to the ethnic group they represent, then this food is sold at the Village. Every yr, up until this yr, Penn State Creamery has had a booth at the Village, selling their ice cream. Being as International Village is in August, there is always a long line of customers waiting to buy their ice cream! I’ll bet Turkey Hill would sell alot there, specially if they brought the Giant Cow in too!
I would love to visit and taste all the flavors. I doubt I would ever go to class if this was on the college campus I went too.
There were two great reasons to live in the East Halls dorms:
1. The only way to class was past The Creamery.
2. The only way back from class was . . . past The Creamery.
Lord knows how hard it must be to avoid the Freshman 15 there! My college had a local joint that sold a frozen yogurt concoction, and that’s how I got mine. But four years of dance balanced it out.
I remember eating a flavor called “Root Beer Float” back in the 70′s. It was soooo creamy.
We agree. Staying fit at college is hard enough with all that cafeteria food and late night pizza breaks. We can’t imagine having a world class super premium ice cream shop on campus!
Total Est. Time: 3 hours, 41 minutes Total Est. Distance: 207.28 miles
I map-quested the creamery from my house!! You have intrigued and enticed me. ROAD TRIP TO THE CREAMERY!!! The flavors were so amazing I couldn’t even pick just five to mention. Gosh I’m sure if I was there it would truly take 30 minutes or more to pick a flavor. Thank God it’s not on MY campus, or I would have a huge problem. I would try a different blend every day!!
Thanks for that wonderful blog, it was really great to know they have a creamery on campus somewhere in the world. They must be a very happy University!
Hey, I agree with the writer above, International Village would be a great place for Turkey Hill to set up a booth, – your ice cream would go over big. Give it a thought. I was born and raised in McKeesport, so I know first hand all about the Village.
Again, give it a thought!!!!!!
some people are so lucky:
Lenny APCET 73′, EET 99′, BSEMET 93′ wrote:
There were two great reasons to live in the East Halls dorms:
1. The only way to class was past The Creamery.
2. The only way back from class was . . . past The Creamery.
someday maybe I will get to the Creamery