The following was posted previously on the Ice Cream Journal, but given the approaching snowy weather (up to a foot here in Lancaster County this weekend!), we thought Ernie’s advice deserved a second reading. If you’d like to ask our “Einstein of Ice Cream” a question, feel free to send him an email using the “Ask Ernie” link in the sidebar on the right.
SUSAN ASKS: With all the chemicals in the air, is snow ice cream still safe to make? I made it as a girl, but that was so long ago.
Good question, Susan. I won’t repeat the age-old lesson about eating a certain colored snow, but I will say that most of us ate snow as children and we turned out okay! So that means, eating snow is safe, right? Well, that depends who you ask.
But first, let’s consider how snow is made. It’s simple really. Snow is created when moisture in the air freezes around a dust particle. So at the very least, with each snowflake you ingest, you’re eating a tiny dust particle, which isn’t so bad when you consider that dust is everywhere around us and we eat it every day. (My apologies if anyone is eating as they read this.)
As for the risks of ingesting airborne chemicals and pollutants when you eat snow, that answer is a little trickier. That’s why we’re going to defer to the experts. According to Helen Macintosh, an environmental professor at Harvard, as snow falls, it can attract toxins and these toxins are greater with snowfall in or near a city.
It’s not looking good for our plans to make snow cones, is it?
Here are a few other rules-of-thumb, which may or may not be backed up by a Harvard professor. Some say not to eat the first snowfall of the year, because that’s the one that collects all the bad stuff (after that, you can chow down, apparently). Others say that eating snow that falls on top of the Himalayas – or any other tall elevation – is okay because the air up there is cleaner. Good news for those living on Mount Everest.
For our bottom line answer, we’re going to defer to Dr. Lynnette Mazur, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical School, who says, “Licking a little snow off a glove is probably OK. A meal of snow is not.”
The only question now is: How much exactly is a “meal of snow?”
Bon Appétit!
Ernie
TODAY’S PRIZE: It’s a magnet! And not just any magnet, but a magnet that’s handcrafted from a recycled soda can (specifically, the can shown on the right). How cool would this thing look stuck to your fridge? The person who made this magnet has a whole bunch of other recycled can stuff available for sale in her Etsy store, Funky Recycling. Check it out!
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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.
I think I will repeat the age old lesson for the younger generation…”Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow”…aaaahhhhh now I feel better, thank you.
That was cute! Grew up in the snow belt and ate a lot of snow and lived to tell about it:)
Nice prize today. Nothing says “good morning” like a breakfast of ice cream and Mountain Dew.
Moutian Dew ice cream. Sound great! Get on it TH.
Yeah, as a doggy person, I’d say it’s okay to eat snow as long as it’s not yellow! Oh, and watch out for the poopsicles that might be lurking beneath the snow!
That is really cool, and I can think about making a Turkey Hill Ice Cream soda with Mountain Dew, now that could be interesting…….
Think about this … when we eat at a restaurant or purchase ready to eat food in a grocery store, we really do not know EXACTLY what else is in it besides what we THINK we are eating. I’ll take my chances with fresh fallen snow from the sky!
Snow falling is a sure reminder that there are wonderful frozen treats for us to eat! that come to us safe from the plant at Turkey Hill! I’ll settle for any flavor of their ice cream and just enjoy looking at the snow, or perhaps making some snow balls to toss at others, or better yet, a snowman to last a little longer for us to look at and enjoy! Blessed Christmas to one and all, and celebrate this wonderful time with an ice cream treat, indoors!
We always ate a lot of snow as kids–as long as it wasn’t yellow! That magnet would look good on my refrig!
Looking forward to the snowstorm! I’ll taste it and be sure to let you know what flavor the snow is at my house this weekend!
I love to have fresh snow in the winter as a child too. Now I would give second thoughts about doing it now. Can’t wait for the snow to come this weekend as long the roads are good for traveling on Monday.
I’ll let my dog eat the snow and I’ll stick to snow cones to get the same idea!
love to have the magnet so cute
WELL WHY EAT A SNOW CONE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE TURKEY HILL ICE CREAM. SURE TASTES BETTER THAN SNOW TO ME.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE AT TURKEY HILL
Magnets hve long been my inexpensive travel souvenier and I’d love to have this one.
I’m a person with a few wisdon words.
” Neven eat yellow snow.”
Fun! My kids love magnets.
I like a sheet of snow. When it get than that, that’s when it gets back.
snow creme is a must have – just take it off the top and pray over it before you eat! great with cherries ,coconut and pineapple – yummy!
magnet!
Some things you really shouldn’t think about too much!
What a great magnet! I love how it is recycled and shaped like ice cream. So great!
Eating snow as it falls is even better!
This Buffalo gal ate big white flakes of snow as it fell from the sky, crunchy snow from mittens, but best of all were the icicles, long and skinny, short and fat, that we would try to knock down as they hung from the gutters.
Ah, the memories of an idyllic childhood in wintertime.
Cool art!!!!!
We’re expecting snow here in Connecticut, too. Since I’ve turned into a hothouse flower, I’ll skip the snow cream and stick to Turkey Hill.
Very cute prize. I don’t know how you find them.
We’re also expecting LOTS of snow.
I think I’d like to be your prize finder — you offer the coolest prizes! That would look so yummy on my fridge!
Very Cool! And it’s even seasonally red and green!
mountain dew ova orange sherbet , yummy
Cranberry Mountain Dew is the best soda pop ever – not overly sweet.
as a kid growing up in fairbank’s alaska, we’d take packet’s of kool-aid(them days it was pre-sweetened)and pour it on a hand full of sno, yummy, cute magnet too!!!
I have plenty of Turkey Hill ice cream on hand, so I won’t be eating any snow and neither will my dog eat snow when she can have her Van. Turkey Hill. Linda
Very cute and creative magnet!
it’s fine to eat snow as long as it isn’t yellow
we love you icecream
we love your ice cream
i never did outside as a child but now i live in the snowbelt and the snow is plentiful and we do make ice cream from it. so so good.
just the perfect pop can to do this with a dew.
I love magnets and this one is very cool and refreshing. I love snow and ice cream. In store for a big snowfall this weekend-but i have my TH ice cream
Cool.
we’re due for 14” of snow, i’m headed to get my turkey hill…ponders one gallon per inch… lol bbl
I love magnets, and I love ice cream!
Maybe if I win the Mountain Dew ice cream cone…. I can give it to my daughter who belongs to the 12-step group — “Mountain Dew Anonymous.” If they come up MD ice cream…. Maybe she would eat it for breakgast! It would help her wake up.
red and green attractive magnet…I like it!
got room for one more magnet on my
refridgerator. looks great.
Cute magnet. I once saw a chair made out of a soda can.
As for snow cones, I’d rather eat snow cones made out of ice cubes from the freezer.
We had our snow last week–17 inches!!! Enough to last me for the rest of the winter–love the magnet!
Love the magnet. It would look great with all the other magnets on my refrig. My grandson loves to eat the snow from his mittons. I remember the snow ice cream we made as kids. We made it once last year (the grandkids and I). So good!
Forget Tony Tiger – I’m an adult and I still eat snow. It’s grrreat. Or at least really good, and fat-frrrree!
And another childhood memory bites the dust! With all the “dangerous” stuff we did as kids, it’s a wonder we all survived childhood…..
cute cone!
We always ate snow here in NY when we were kids but always from a field where no one walked or near traffic where it got dirty but I’d much rather have my Turkey Hill.
cute magnet
I remember Maple sugaring from my childhood- thick hot syrup poured over clean snow. Darn shame its almost unheard of nowadays. The taffy was absolutely fabulous.
I love Mt DEW must try and cut back though to one can a day gives me trouble sleeping, and dont get me on the ice cream trip we go through a cartoon a night. PART CAKE TH most favorite in my house its a legeal drug. Love to know what that light blueish guey is made of.
I’d rather go to the freezer and grab the Turkey Hill container……..tastes great and is safe to eat!
Interesting magnet. I collect refrigerator magnets. That’s the first one of its kind I’ve seen.
I might add that was interesting info about snow.
very cute & recycled too.What a bonus.
Mountain Dew flavor ice cream!
Very artsy magnet. I collect refrigerator magnets. That’s the first one of its kind I’ve seen
Cute Prize! Keep warm,dry and safe this weekend!
That magnet is perfect to add a little red and green decorations to my frig for Christmas. The soda can gets me thinking of a float, perhaps TS strawberry in Mountain Dew. Yummy!
I will not mind the upcoming snow if it aids in keeping my Turkey Hill ice cream cold if the power goes out.
Looks cute.
What a clever magnet!
Enjoy that foot of snow!!
I think we all ate at least a little snow as kids and it was probably even more polluted back then. Could everyone eat about a foot’s worth tonight because our flight out of town tomorrow has been cancelled!!!!!!!!
I think we all need to chill out.
I was always into recycling (even before it was mandatory or even “fashionable”!), so I think this prize is a fantastic idea…just love it!
I do remember eating snow when I was a kid. But trying it now would be a risk. I’ll just stick to eating my Turkey Hill ice cream.
I like collecting magnets and this one would fit right in.
I prefer to eat a snowball in the summer, not snow in the winter!
Icollect magnets and this one would be a great addition to my collection! Even better is that it’s recycled!
Lots of clean snow here in Southern Maryland, with a whole lot more to come! Making snow cream is a good idea since we won’t be able to get out for 4 days! I had the presence of mind to get some Turkey Hill Cookie Dough ice cream when I joined the stampede to the grocery store!
I only eat snow in mid air. Never know what my dog Charlie does to it once it hits the ground, 5 second rulle does not apply here, DEWds lurking under snow. Sweet prize today.
very festive
Mountain Dew is a weakness of mine. I found it caffeine free at one point, but then they stopped carrying it.
I still drink it, though, just not as much. 
What a great idea
cute magnet
A very clever and creative mind!
A meal of snow would be a snow cone.
I love your ice cream!
I think eating clean snows helps you build up immunity to some of the bad stuff in it.
ice cream when I was little was cream with vanilla and sugar poured over fresh snow it was yummmy sorry to say that i would never so that today with all the stuff in the air.
That is ok there is TH ice cream now so no suffering here
The magnet even looks Christmasy.
Very colorful Christmas magnet, many years ago I use to drink Mountain Dew. Only time I ate snow was when I got a direct hit in the face when my mouth was open laughing at my siblings.
How cute. It would be great on the fridge.
Loved snow as a kid and my dog can not get enough of it but he does like Ice Cream better but don’t we all : )
My boyfriend loves MD
Cute!
this would hold my turkey hill ice cream coupon in place;;;;cool;;;;
Good advice, and another cute prize!
WOW Talk about an Ice Cream SODA!
i ate some snow in NY that i live there and it is not bad plus a blizzard just came so i am enjoying the snow right now