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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 11:07 PM CDT
Fun facts about ice cream, a delicious frozen treat

Mary Cox, Coles County Farm Bureau

July is National Ice Cream Month. Back in 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month. He wanted to recognize this delicious nutritious treat.

According to historians, ice cream origin goes back as far as the second century B.C., and it evolved from flavoring frozen snow with fruit juices. It was around the 16th century that ice cream became a dairy product. Throughout the years, the hand-crank freezer was developed and patented in 1846, which led to the establishment of the first commercial ice cream plant in Baltimore in 1851.

Approximately nine percent of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream. Federal regulations state that ice cream must have at least 10 percent of milk fat. Gourmet or premium ice cream has at least 12 percent milk fat.

Illinois ranks fourth in producing the most ice cream in the U.S. California, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan are also ranked within the top five.

Because ice cream is a dairy product, the calcium helps make the body and bones strong and healthy.

So, go out and celebrate by getting ice cream loaded with your favorite toppings! Below are more fun facts about this beloved dairy treat:

-Former First Lady Dolly Madison created a sensation by serving ice cream as a dessert at the inaugural ball in 1812;

-Ice cream novelties such as ice cream on a stick and ice cream bars were introduced in the 1920’s;

- It takes 50 licks to lick away one scoop of ice cream;

- Sunday is the most popular day for ice cream to be sold;

- Kids aged 2-12 and adults over the age of 45 eat the most ice cream;

- Vanilla, chocolate, butter pecan, strawberry, and mint chocolate chip are the most popular ice cream flavors;

-Chocolate syrup is the most popular ice cream topping;

- 5 percent of ice cream eaters share their ice cream with their pet.

Mary Cox is the manager of the Coles County Farm Bureau.

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jrhendren wrote on Jul 1, 2009 12:28 AM:

" additional fact.
The Ice Cream cone was created at the St. Louis World's Fair on July 23, 1904. A guy selling Ice Cream ran out of cups and started using waffle like pastries from a near by vendor. "

mickeygarlock wrote on Jul 1, 2009 2:13 AM:

" sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia

Caused when eating Ice Cream to fast,

In other words......

The Brain Freeze.

And you can't get one in cold weather. "

Texas T wrote on Jul 1, 2009 8:30 AM:

" I took my dog out for ice cream last night. It was her 3rd birthday and every year on her birthday I take her and her boyfriend (the Golden next door) down to the DQ for a little baby cone. My pup takes these cute little licks while the golden gulps his down with one bite. LOL The little baby cones cost 40 cents.

I say everyone needs to eat more ice cream!!! No one can be ugly while eating ice cream. "

kamfong wrote on Jul 1, 2009 10:30 AM:

" Texas T,right on ,Dogs rock,plus I think the best home-aid ice cream is made from fresh cream from the Amish milk cows. yummy. "

Texas T wrote on Jul 1, 2009 4:45 PM:

" I agree kamfong, yummy! "

Billie Brant wrote on Jul 2, 2009 7:05 PM:

" Goat's milk makes good ice cream too. We didn't like to use plain old milk. It wasn't rich enough, it seemed like it always froze hard as a brick and wasn't creamy enough. Yup kamfong, full fat cream is the best! We sure weren't going to worry about the calories and fat if we were undertaking the task of making ice cream. After all, it was a treat not something we would have every day. We've added fresh strawberries, chocolate and my favorite black walnuts. Yum! "

kamfong wrote on Jul 3, 2009 7:28 AM:

" Billie, I've never tried the goat milk ice-cream but was turned onto some white goat cheese the other day, on a burrito, and great, thanks to that I now have another unhealthy addiction.lol ;) "