New Yorkers Enjoy Ice Cream on Warm March Day
March 10, 2016People walking the streets in New York on a warm Wednesday this week got an unexpected treat. Ice cream trucks were out selling tasty snacks. Temperatures in New York City reached 77 degrees by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9, according to data from the National Weather Service. That broke the previous record of 69 degrees that was set on March 9, 2000. Ice cream truck companies usually don’t begin patrolling the streets until April, but they monitor the weather in case there is an unexpected warm spell earlier. They can get their trucks out on the road ahead of schedule if the weather allows it. Truck operators said that even though they could not have all of their trucks out selling ice cream because some were undergoing repairs, they welcomed the opportunity to generate some early sales. Ice cream shops also benefited from the unseasonably warm weather. Many opened…
Read MorePresident Obama Writes about First Job Scooping Ice Cream to Promote Initiative
March 1, 2016President Barack Obama wrote about his first job scooping ice cream at a shop in Honolulu, Hawaii as a teenager in a post on LinkedIn. He said that scooping hard ice cream all day can be tough on the wrists. Obama wrote that while his job scooping ice cream was not glamorous, it taught him many valuable lessons, including the importance of responsibility, hard work, and balancing a job with friends, family, and school. Obama used the opportunity to promote a new initiative to offer young people their first jobs. The federal government is launching the Summer Opportunity Project, a collaboration that brings together state and local leaders, community organizations, schools, and businesses. The goal of the project is to help young people find their first job and to help them transition between school years or from high school to college or a career. Obama encouraged employers to offer young…
Read MoreHow Long Can Ice Cream Last in the Freezer?
February 22, 2016When people buy ice cream, it usually doesn’t take long for it to disappear. With ice cream being such a tasty treat, it is generally eaten well before the date on the container, so there is usually no concern about it spoiling or getting freezer burn. However, if you buy ice cream in bulk or are just curious about how long it will stay fresh in the freezer, here are some guidelines. Ice cream and other dairy products usually have a “best before” date, not a “use by” or “sell by” date. Ice cream can last for two to three months beyond the date on the container. The shelf life depends on several factors, including the “best before” date, how it was prepared, and how it is stored. It will not last as long if it is not stored properly. An unopened container of ice cream lasts for two to…
Read MoreDo Astronauts Really Eat Ice Cream in Space?
February 16, 2016Many people who visited space museums as children enjoyed snacking on astronaut ice cream they bought in gift shops. The freeze-dried dessert feels brittle but melts in your mouth. It typically comes in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and Neapolitan flavors. The widely-held belief that astronauts snacked on the freeze-dried ice cream during space missions has been debunked. The National Air and Space Museum said it is unlikely that it was actually served on any missions. Whirlpool (the company that produces household appliances) developed astronaut ice cream as part of a contract with NASA for the Apollo 7 mission in 1968. Some news outlets reported that it was served on the mission, but Walter Cunningham, the only member of the mission who is still alive, said he and his crewmates never ate it. Journalists for Vox went to the National Air and Space Museum storage facility in Washington, DC and did not…
Read MoreCold Weather Doesn’t Stop First Graders from Making Ice Cream
February 10, 2016First graders at Mandalay Elementary School in Wantagh, New York didn’t let cold weather stop them from learning how to make and enjoy one of their favorite treats. The 17 students made their own ice cream at school on January 29. The students made their ice cream in the school’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) room. Their teacher, Cheryl Schwartz, showed them how to combine ice, sugar, salt, half and half, and vanilla. The students enjoyed mixing the ingredients, shaking the bags, and learning the science of making ice cream. In the lesson, students learned about different states of matter. Before they made ice cream, they practiced measuring liquids and solids with measuring cups. The STEAM lab was created last year as a room dedicated to science. The school collected science materials from teachers, and the community donated equipment for a maker-space area. The room was intended to…
Read MoreFollow These Tips to Make Delicious Homemade Ice Cream
February 3, 2016Making homemade ice cream is a fun activity for adults and kids alike. If you want to try your hand at making your own ice cream, here are some tips to help you get the right texture and flavor. • Most ice cream maker bowls take 24 hours to freeze. Store your bowl in the freezer wrapped tightly in a plastic bag so it will be ready at any time and you won’t have to wait to make the treat you are craving. • Make the batter for your ice cream as cold as possible. You can pour it into a quart-sized container and chill it in the refrigerator overnight. • It is important not to overfill your ice cream maker because it will not aerate properly. You will get the best results if the ice cream maker is three-quarters full. • When you are making custard-based ice cream and…
Read MoreResearchers in India Create Ice Cream with Curcumin
January 26, 2016Curcumin, the main ingredient in turmeric, a spice used in curry, has many health benefits. It has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-parasitic properties. Researchers at the National Dairy Institute in India found a way to add the spice to ice cream. Curcumin supplements are growing in popularity, but it is not used much as a functional food ingredient. This is because of its poor water solubility, extremely low absorption and bioavailability, and tendency to degrade quickly under neutral and alkaline pH conditions. The researchers found that hydrophobic curcumin can be dissolved to add nutritional value to functional foods if it is nanoencapsulated with sodium caseinate. They turned the bioactives into nanoemulsions by mixing oil and water and stabilizing them with emulsifiers. They used casein to emulsify and encapsulate the curcumin because it can form a thicker interfacial layer around the lipid droplets than whey protein and it can easily be degraded…
Read MoreFeatures to Look for in an Ice Cream Maker
January 20, 2016Making homemade ice cream is a fun family activity that kids love. It is easy to do with some simple ingredients and an ice cream maker. If you are thinking about buying an ice cream maker, you should familiarize yourself with some key features so you can choose the best one for your needs. One of the first things to think about is how much ice cream you want to make at a time. Ice cream makers work best when they are filled, so choose one that is the right size for your family. The next factor to consider is the size of the ice cream maker, which is different from its capacity. Space is a factor in most people’s kitchens, so think about where you will store your ice cream maker when you are not using it. You don’t want to choose a large machine that will take up…
Read MoreWhat Was the First Flavor of Ice Cream Ever Made?
January 13, 2016Ice cream comes in hundreds of flavors, from vanilla to chocolate, strawberry, chocolate chip cookie dough, mint chocolate chip, and many other varieties. Many people think vanilla was the first ice cream flavor invented since it is the most popular, but that is actually not the case. In the 4th century B.C., the Roman emperor Nero had servants go into the mountains to collect snow that was used to make a frozen dessert flavored with honey, nuts, and fruit toppings. However, this was not technically ice cream since it did not contain milk or cream. Some of the earliest frozen desserts that included milk and cream among their ingredients were introduced in the Middle East around the 10th century A.D. They were also flavored with fruit and nuts. Desserts that resemble the ice cream we know today were only introduced in the 18th century in England and the United States.…
Read MoreHow to Make Homemade Salted Caramel Ice Cream
January 4, 2016If you would like to make a delicious treat with your family, try this recipe for salted caramel ice cream. Ingredients: Caramel Sauce: 1 cup sugar 1 ¼ cups heavy cream ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Ice Cream Base: 4 large egg yolks 2 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream ¼ cup sugar Directions: To make the caramel sauce, heat the sugar over medium heat in a large heavy skillet. Stir until the sugar begins to melt and then cook, stirring occasionally, until it turns a dark amber color. Add the cream and continue to cook, stirring, until the caramel has dissolved. Remove from heat and pour the sauce into a bowl. Add the sea salt and vanilla extract. Cool to room temperature. To make the ice cream base, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until smooth. Gradually add the sugar until the mixture…
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