# Is there any real ice cream in stores anymore? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [April 8, 2025, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794 "2025-04-08T13:52:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/61 "2025-04-08T21:55:05Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > or is 100% cream less than optimal Typically considered less than optimal. Think about it - how much heavy cream can you eat before you start to feel queasy? Look up home recipes, they all call for some proportion of milk. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/62 "2025-04-08T21:56:17Z")
I can remember when I first saw people using liquid nitrogen on TV. They would put on those big rubber gloves and a total face shield. Then, I was watching _The Dish with Kish_ (Top Chef adjacent show) the other day, and Mei Lin, the guest, just grabbed the tank and started pouring. No protective nothing. I think if you’re used to using it, you know to be as careful as you’d be with any other dangerous product/tool. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/63 "2025-04-08T21:56:29Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > (I always wanted to try Guinness Stout ice cream) To me, it’s ideal when you just pour some Guinness over a scoop of ice cream. You taste all the flavors more that way. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/64 "2025-04-08T21:58:22Z")
The dessert I was served years ago at a French restaurant on my birthday was two small scoops of vanilla ice cream with champagne poured over with a handful of fresh raspberries. Excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/65 "2025-04-08T22:05:34Z")
FWIW in south Ontario a number of options are available which use minimal ingredients or nearly so. You pay more - a box or tub with 1.5-2 quarts will cost five to eight Canuck Bucks if quality, minus two dollars if made with sawdust and wool. The higher price is during the brief summer. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/66 "2025-04-08T22:20:26Z")
There’s a “real ice cream” place in downtown Willow Glen, aptly named the Willow Glen Creamery. From their webpage: > _We are a locally owned creamery that serves Ice Cream made from independent dairies with the highest butterfat and best ingredients available…We also serve “real Frozen Custard” that we receive from a dairy in Waukesha, Wisconsin_ They’ve been around for more than 20 years, and I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I’ve never sampled any of their wares. I pledge to correct that problem and report back this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/67 "2025-04-08T23:09:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You might think that, but if it’s interpreted the same way as x% fat free, “99% lactose free” means “1% lactose”. It isn’t, though. Just as reduced lactose means at least 70% less lactose, 99% lactose-free means at least 99% less lactose, a negligible amount. I spent a lot of time studying this while writing three books on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/68 "2025-04-08T23:22:46Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I spent a lot of time studying this while writing three books on the subject. Medusa+optics+lactose=? It’s not making sense to me. I don’t see the connection. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2025, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/69 "2025-04-08T23:41:59Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > The gums don’t have much flavor, but they make a big difference in texture. And using them makes it easy for the manufacturer to cheat in other ways. Maybe you don’t notice any difference, but many people do. Some prefer ice cream stabilized with gums. (Especially people with bad freezers – the gums really help if your ice cream is subject to defrosting and refreezing.) But others prefer ice cream without gums. Okay, I can buy that. But most national commercial ice cream gets hauled around and stored sometimes in less than ideal circumstances. I have tried some hyper-local ice cream, made on the premises, and the flavor was better- more fresher. Maybe a better texture, sure. Good points. Maybe the OP should look for one of those. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/70 "2025-04-09T00:09:07Z")
I bought some commercial stabilizer (xanthin gum) to use in my homemade ice cream, so that the leftovers would stay creamy, not form giant ice crystals as homemade ice cream often does. But since I could only buy it in commercial quantities, I had a big tub that said something “use 1 pint per 50 quarts.” No instructions on how the home cook should use it, and when you’re changing a recipe by that many orders of magnitude, simple division probably won’t work. (Ask me how I know - I once multiplied a chicken recipe by 8. The results were inedibly salty.) Anyway, I threw in a small amount to my homemade burnt caramel ice cream - to hilarious results. The ice cream was like cold, pliant taffy. Clearly, I used WAY too much. It was actually pretty good, in its own special way. But after that, I used only teeny tiny amounts in future batches. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/71 "2025-04-09T00:14:07Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I have tried some hyper-local ice cream, made on the premises, and the flavor was better- more fresher. Maybe a better texture, sure. Good points. > > Maybe the OP should look for one of those. Pretty sure that’s what everyone else has said too. I got some Haagen Dazs to try out tonight. Interestingly a national brand. There was one local ice cream that claimed to be old-fashioned. It had more crap than other brands. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/72 "2025-04-09T00:23:35Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Medusa+optics+lactose=? > > It’s not making sense to me. I don’t see the connection. Medusa and optics were among @CalMeacham 's books, not @Exapno_Mapcase 's. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/73 "2025-04-09T00:26:02Z")
Yeah, I’m lactose+the past future+humor, which makes even less sense. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/74 "2025-04-09T00:27:16Z")
D’oh! This has been a bad year for me. Now, everything is clear! The lactose is for food pills.I’ll send my robot servant out to get some. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/75 "2025-04-09T01:41:25Z")
Breyers always seemed high quality. It’s what I’ve bought for a long time. [Yarnell’s Ice Cream](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarnell_Ice_Cream_Co) is made in Searcy Arkansas. It was a Arkansas family-owned business. Excellent quality. Founded in 1932 and ended in 2011. It’s been sold twice since 2011. I suspect the recipes have changed. I was never impressed by Haagen Dazs. It seems over priced and not much better than Breyers. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/76 "2025-04-09T02:32:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Breyers always seemed high quality. It’s what I’ve bought for a long time. It might be the best mass-produced one. I just got the H-D to compare to ice cream with gums in a root beer float. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/77 "2025-04-09T02:40:23Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > > [@DPRK](#): > > > > Not if you buy some food-grade liquid nitrogen, it doesn’t. > > It used to take me 30 minutes of churning with my ice cream machine using rock salt and ice. How much faster is it with liquid nitrogen, and how much extra is it going to cost me? You slowly pour in the liquid nitrogen while stirring, until you get the right consistency— I did not measure the time, but it took a couple of minutes, tops. Last time I did it, I actually purchased a non-bulk amount (I only have a couple of appropriate Thermos flasks at home) of “food grade” liquid nitrogen from a restaurant supply place, as supposed to just swiping some from the university, so I got ripped off to the tune of $10 for a couple of liters. The ice cream was good, though. I bet if you were not as impatient, you could buy a gallon of nitrogen for $5 or something. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/78 "2025-04-09T03:49:14Z")
Does Frozen Custard meet the best ice cream standard? It’s not supposed to have gum thickeners in it. I like going by [Shakes](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shake%27s_Frozen_Custard) in Little Rock. I love the rich, smooth texture. They are in 9 states There are other brands of frozen custard. It’s always made and served fresh. You won’t find it in a grocery. > [@](#): > > **Frozen custard** is a [frozen dessert](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_dessert) that is a type of [ice cream](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream) that is made with [egg yolks](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yolk) in addition to [cream](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cream) and [sweetener](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetener), either [sugar](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar) or an alternative, and an additional [flavoring](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavoring) such as [cocoa](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate), [vanilla](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla), or fruit such as [strawberries](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry) or [peaches](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach). ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/79 "2025-04-09T04:07:34Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Does Frozen Custard meet the best ice cream standard > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Cream, cane sugar, maybe eggs. So yes it does. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/80 "2025-04-09T04:56:25Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > No protective nothing. I think if you’re used to using it, you know to be as careful as you’d be with any other dangerous product/tool When we used it, we used ordinary care, like you’d use with boiling water. We didn’t use any special protective gear. We did only use it outdoors, in a well ventilated area. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794.md?page=5)