Wisconsin ice cream, a summer treat that’s good all year

I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream!

A hot summer day is the perfect day to scream for ice cream as a way to celebrate National Ice Cream Month. I had the opportunity to learn about the process of making ice cream when I visited with Bill Klein, manager of the dairy plant at Babcock Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Ice cream starts first as milk, which is pasteurized and homogenized. Then it is mixed with cream, sugar and any flavorings as it cools to about 34 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooled mixture travels into another machine that cools it to a chilly 21 degrees Fahrenheit. While it’s being cooled, the ice cream is continuously churned or cut. Milk is 87 percent water, and when it freezes, the water separates from the cream. If the water and cream separate in ice cream, the water can refreeze as larger ice crystals, giving the ice cream a grainy texture. This constant churning while the mixture cools is thoroughly blending all the ingredients so the ice cream stays smooth and flavorful throughout. Air is also whipped into the mixture in a process called overrun to define how much body is in the ice cream. Premium ice creams will have a lower overrun and be thicker than regular ice creams. While the mixture is still in a semi-liquid form, any other ingredients – like candies or a ribbon of caramel – are added before the mixture is pumped into its respective container and then thoroughly frozen at -30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wisconsin is home to 13 dairy plants that produce varying amounts of ice cream. Babcock Hall churns out about 400 gallons of ice cream a day to be sold mostly at shops around campus; that means they produce roughly 100,000 gallons of ice cream a year. On the other side, Schoep’s Ice Cream, also located in Madison, produced 12 million gallons of ice cream last year. Schoep’s has several flavor options too. I counted 63 different flavors of ice cream listed on their Web site!

The summer months here in Wisconsin are a great time to make that ice cream treat really special. There are fresh Wisconsin berries ripe for picking that are a great compliment to the ice cream. Add some Wisconsin strawberries, raspberries, or cherries to the top of your dish of ice cream, or blend them in for a refreshing smoothie. No matter how you enjoy it – you’ll get vitamins like A and C from the fruit to go along with the calcium and vitamin D found in ice cream. Or, if a float floats your boat, try a scoop of ice cream in some Wisconsin sodas from Sprecher’s in Glendale. Sprecher’s makes gourmet sodas like root beer to use for a classic root beer float. Be sure to try some ice cream with their other flavors like Orange Dream, Cherry Cola, or Puma Cola. My favorite ice cream float uses Sprecher’s Ravin’ Red soda that uses juices from Wisconsin cherries and cranberries as well as Wisconsin honey and ginseng for a sweet tart flavor.

To find berry farms and other Wisconsin companies in your area, visit www.savorwisconsin.com. There are lots of great options to make ice cream extra special and to support Wisconsin agriculture.

Buying Wisconsin-grown products like our state’s berries or Wisconsin-produced items like Sprecher’s soda supports Wisconsin farmers, producers, communities, economies and all Wisconsin agriculture. Don’t forget to scream for Wisconsin ice cream all year long!

Alice in Dairyland is Wisconsin’s agricultural ambassador. She travels over 40,000 miles each year to spread the word about our agricultural industry. Alice in Dairyland can be reached by writing to DATCP, 2811 Agriculture Drive, P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI 53718. You can schedule Alice for an upcoming event by contacting the Alice in Dairyland Program at (608) 224-5080 or by e-mail at DATCPAlice@wisconsin.gov.