Icecream Journal

The ice cream soda (a.k.a the ice cream float) was invented in Philadelphia in the late 19th century by Robert Green. Mr. Green operated a soda shop in Philly and used carbonated water, syrup and cream to make his tasty treats. Legend has it, Green ran out of cream on day and instead used ice cream. Soon thereafter, his daily earnings soared from $6 to $600.

P.S. – Stay tuned, our weekly “Taste of Lancaster County” entry will be posted tomorrow!

The following is an excerpt from our official history book, Turkey Hill: A Family Vision. To purchase your own copy, visit our online store.

Ice cream packaging has progressed from simple two-color rectangular boxes to colorful, picturesque containers in many shapes and sizes. From 1954 until 1980, Turkey Hill packaged ice cream in rectangular-shaped boxes. Initially, these packages featured only two colors, and had either a picture of the Dairy’s processing plant on the front or arrowheads around the box’s perimeter. During the 1960s and 1970s, advancements in technology made it possible to create packages with pictures of ice cream flavors on the front. Later, pictures of ingredients, such as pecans, were added to the front of the packages.

Just as Turkey Hill Dairy started to sell ice cream through distributors, radical changes were being made to packaging. In 1981, Turkey Hill moved from packaging ice cream in boxes to packaging it in round cups with lids, featuring a window. Consumers could now see what they were purchasing and could also remove the lid, making dipping less messy. Although the same container was used for all ice cream, flavors were differentiated by the labeling on the lid. The design on these containers was minimal and had only a few colors of print.

Almost 20 years after ice cream moved from a box to a round container, the shape of ice cream packaging changed again. This time, ice cream was packaged in an oval container, which, in the ice cream world, is known as a “scround.” Because the scround has two relatively long, flat sides, it allows Turkey hill to create more elaborate graphics that showcase well in the retailer’s freezer.

Ice cream is a comfort food, right up there with macaroni & cheese and tater tots, so it’s no surprise that the sweet treat played a key role in comforting our nation and our troops during World War II. It was so important to our comfort that during that trying time, the U.S. War Department listed six items essential for keeping troop morale high. Ice cream was on that list.

To help supply ice cream to soldiers and sailors fighting in the Pacific, the U.S. Navy built an “Ice Cream Barge” – a ship whose sole purpose was to make and distribute ice cream to the tune of 1,500 gallons an hour!

But while our brave men and women overseas were enjoying ice cream (and deservedly so), the rationing of milk, sugar and other supplies meant ice cream shortages back home. Ice cream shops still managed to satisfy our sweet tooth thanks to some quick thinking and experimenting with different recipes. When the rationing was lifted after the war, American’s worked overtime to get their fill of ice cream, consuming it in record amounts – 20 quarts per person in 1946 alone!