There’s no better way to end a hot summer day than with a big bowl of ice cream! Drive through any town across America in June or July and you’ll find adults and kids alike eagerly waiting in line for a scoop from the local, family-owned parlor, and isn’t it funny how children seem to have this uncanny ability to hear the lilting chime of an ice cream truck four or five blocks away?
In my own home in Tampa Bay, nothing brings smiles to my family’s faces faster than seeing a half-gallon of ice cream in the freezer. With rotational and year-round flavors, each with a traditional, homemade, creamy taste, you can keep your personal favorite while always having something new to try.
But ice cream wasn’t always the family-friendly snack we all know it to be today. According to The New York Times, it wasn’t until the invention of the cone in the early 1900s that ice cream became popular amongst anyone besides the elite. The ability to eat it without any utensils at all made ice cream less of an exotic delicacy and more of a carnival treat.
In honor of National Ice Cream Month, here are a few tips on how you can best enjoy one of our nation’s most savory and beloved desserts.
Eating Your Ice Cream
- How you eat your ice cream often depends on how it’s served. If it’s served in a bowl, use a spoon. If it’s on a plate (as a topping to a pie or cake), use a fork. If it’s an ice cream cake, you can use both. A good host will offer forks, knives and spoons and let you choose what you’re most comfortable using.
- When eating ice cream in a cone, have plenty of napkins. You don’t want to drip on your clothes or resort to sucking your ice cream out of the cone’s tip.
- When licking your ice cream cone, bring the cone up to your mouth as opposed to lowering your head to your cone.
- If eating an ice cream sandwich, keep the wrapper around the portion you’re not eating so it’s easier to handle and less likely to make a mess.
- When building your own ice cream sundae, be modest with your portions. Remember, a serving size of ice cream is a 1/2 cup portion. Make sure you leave enough toppings for everyone else.
- Continue to use basic dining etiquette. Wait until everyone is served to begin eating. Take small bites and don’t talk with your mouth open.
- If you have young children, it may not be a bad idea to have wet wipes or washcloth on hand.
Keeping Your Ice Cream Cold
- When buying a container of ice cream at the store, kindly ask your cashier to place it in a bag with other cold items: frozen vegetables, a box of pizza, milk and orange juice are all good options.
- If you’re making a short trip, from the grocery store to your home for example, bring the ice cream with you in the air-conditioned car instead of leaving it in the trunk. Place it in an area that’s not receiving direct sunlight, such as on the floor on the passenger side.
- If you’re bringing ice cream on a longer trip, or if you’re serving ice cream throughout the span of a party, keep it in a cooler with plenty of ice.
- Double-bag your ice cream when traveling – just in case.
