# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/81 "2025-04-09T12:58:11Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > My two go-to’s: Häagen-Dazs and Oberweis. I don’t think Oberweise would qualify for the OP. Checking the ingredients on the vanilla, anyway, it contains corn syrup, dairy other than cream (milk and skim milk) as well as gums and carrageenan. It sounds quite opposite of what the OP is looking for. I’ve had it many times, and it’s just okay ice cream to me. I had to double check the ingredient list because I was pretty sure it was your usual ingredient laden ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/82 "2025-04-09T13:06:40Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It sounds quite opposite of what the OP is looking for. I’ve had it many times, and it’s just okay ice cream to me. Oh, m’God! It’s like finding out that guy you really like is, underneath his handsome and charming exterior, actually a sleazeball! 😳 ---
**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, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/83 "2025-04-09T13:26:46Z")
Yeah. When I was young, Breyers was genuinely handsome and charming. I get back in touch, and find out he’s changed into a sleazeball. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/84 "2025-04-09T13:30:30Z")
Yeah, I miss the old Breyer’s. That and Haagen-Dazs were my go-tos. Now it’s just Haagen-Dazs. I don’t think it’s all _that_ spendy, especially when you buy it at Target, where it’s like $4.50 for 14 fl oz. (and like $4 when it’s on sale.) Then again, I’m not an eat-the-whole carton kind of ice cream guy, so one of those will last me about four servings. Love the pistachio. One of the few brands that is not colored and doesn’t contain almond flavoring in it (actually, pretty much the only brand I could think of–it’s pistachios in a sweet cream base). I get so tired of pistachio that tastes more of almond. ---
**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, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/85 "2025-04-09T14:07:54Z")
Same. ---
**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, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/86 "2025-04-09T14:12:13Z")
Okay, my real ice cream of choice is David’s. Not a brand name. My friend David has an ice cream machine and uses it regularly. He makes all kinds of flavors. His tastes aren’t the same as mine, but there’s enough overlap that i enjoy most of his ice cream. His is all custard-based (he uses eggs) but the ingredients are all real, his sugar is cane and he expects it to be eaten fast enough that gums would be superfluous at best. He only makes strawberry ice cream in strawberry season, he makes mint ice cream when he has mint in his back yard, etc. If you care a lot, buy a good ice cream machine. He usually makes two flavors at a time, and sometimes does it more than once a week. It can’t be a ton of work. ---
**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 9, 2025, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/87 "2025-04-09T16:19:18Z")
The best ice cream I ever had was 1) at the Ohio State Fair when we were visiting relatives there (strawberry & and it was awesome) and 2) at a backyard BBQ where we made homemade raspberry ice cream. It’s not hard to find raspberry sherbet or sorbet, but next to impossible to find raspberry ice cream. I _love_ raspberries. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/88 "2025-04-09T18:16:19Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > It’s not hard to find raspberry sherbet or sorbet, but next to impossible to find raspberry ice cream. I _love_ raspberries. I tried making raspberry ice cream a few weeks ago. I have some more experimenting to do. My husband used to get it as a child, but I’ve never had it before. I’m looking forward to making another batch. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/89 "2025-04-09T18:22:17Z")
**Saint\_Cad** , what kind of grocery stores are near you? Pricier stores like Fresh Market are more likely to have better brands of ice cream with less junk in them. If you have any co-ops or healthy food stores, they might have some local brands. I’m taking notes of all of the flavors people have mentioned. I need to learn the secrets of making good ice cream so I can try out some unusual things, like strawberry mint or peach mint. I recently found out that a new ice cream shop just opened less than a mile from where I live, so I need to go check it out. They have some flavors that look amazing. Banana pudding with Biscoff! Maple Bacon! Salted Caramel! ---
**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 9, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/90 "2025-04-09T18:32:06Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > 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. If you’d bothered to look at the website, you’d see they’ve added all the objectionable ingredients. Just because “frozen custard” includes certain ingredients by definition doesn’t mean other ingredients aren’t also present. > **[shakes-nutritional-facts.pdf](https://shakesholdingcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/shakes-nutritional-facts.pdf)** > > 1967.20 KB ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/91 "2025-04-09T18:43:45Z")
I read someplace once that many local ice cream shops that talk about making their own ice cream start with a commercial base made of milk, cream and sugar, which they modify to make whatever flavor they want. So not totally cheating but also not entirely made from scratch. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/92 "2025-04-09T18:44:58Z")
Some of those stabilizers or thickeners really mess with my stomach. I thought ice cream gave me heartburn because it was too fatty, and then I found that Haagen Dazs didn’t bother me at all. It was the carageenan in the other brands that was upsetting my stomach. For that matter, I think it’s also in mass-produced baked goods, like birthday sheet cakes and the like. Those also give me bad heartburn. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/93 "2025-04-09T18:45:56Z")
Straus is another store brand that doesn’t use corn syrup or thickeners. The ingredient list for their vanilla bean ice cream: Pasteurized Organic Cream and Organic Nonfat Milk, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Egg Yolks, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Ground Vanilla Bean. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/94 "2025-04-09T18:48:08Z")
Straus Family Creamery? Not a store brand but one available in stores. ---
**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, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/95 "2025-04-09T18:51:18Z")
I know it is a sample size of n=1 but I had my Haagen-Dazs last night. The texture was more icy (which I like) and when it melted a little it was creamy and not sludgy like those thickened with gums. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/96 "2025-04-09T18:57:28Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Straus Family Creamery? Not a store brand but one available in stores. Yes, good point. That’s what I meant. ---
**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 9, 2025, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/97 "2025-04-09T19:51:14Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > many local ice cream shops that talk about making their own ice cream start with a commercial base made of milk, cream and sugar, which they modify to make whatever flavor they want. So not totally cheating but also not entirely made from scratch. Yeah, I’m fine with that. Not every shop needs to buy a pasteurizer to be able to make quality ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/98 "2025-04-10T00:23:24Z")
If there’s a **Brusters** near you, they have Black Raspberry IC that my wife will walk over me to get to. She likes to mix it with chocolate IC; I went to surprise her with a quart of mixed yesterday, and as she was starting to dip, the clerk asked _The black raspberry has chocolate pieces mixed in; is that OK for you?_ The clouds parted and a shaft of light shone on her and I declared her to be my new best friend. ---
**Author:** ![ewomack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ewomack/32/19149_2.png) [@ewomack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ewomack)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/99 "2025-04-10T11:44:27Z")
Yes, I probably didn’t need to know that! 😆 I’ve mostly eaten “ice cream” made with soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk or some other completely non-dairy item. Many of them are pretty good. I may give one of those lactose free brands a try, but I will probably initially have psychological issues because the last time I ate something from pure milk, I did not have a good experience. 😮 ---
**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 10, 2025, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794/100 "2025-04-10T14:15:20Z")
Last night was the root beer float test. The foam was frothy not creamy and the H-D did not get slagged. I attribute both to the lack of gums. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-ice-cream-in-stores-anymore/1016794.md?page=6)