Good afternoon, welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: July 2022: National Ice Cream Month. I don’t know about you but Ice Cream sounds like a nice afternoon treat. I hope the Dilly Bar Charlie brought home to me from Church on Sunday is in the freezer because I can’t wait to eat it. I’m sorry there isn’t enough to share.
National Ice Cream Month
Just encase you didn’t know it July is National Ice Cream Month which is a perfect time to cool off with a scoop of your favorite flavor of Ice Cream.
Like with other foods, the origin of Ice Cream is unknown. What we do know, however, is the origin of Ice Cream likely dates back to A.D. 54 to 68 during the time when Nero was Emperor of Rome. Evidence shows harvesting Ice or Snow, then flavoring the Ice with Honey or other flavorings to make Ice Cream. Alexander the Great supposedly enjoyed Icy beverages that had flavorings including Honey or Nectar.
The first appearance of Ice Cream in the U.S. is found in a letter by Maryland Governor William Bladen in 1744. Early presidents also had a liking towards Ice Cream. In fact, Summer of 1790, George Washington spent approximately $200 for Ice Cream. For a while, Ice Cream was only an occasional special treat, mainly for the rich.
In 1843, Nancy Johnson patented the hand crank Ice Cream machine. Eight years later, in 1851, Jacob Fussell built the first Ice Cream factory. The invention of mechanical refrigeration helped keep large amounts of Ice Cream cool. Further improvements and new inventions in technology made Ice Cream more available to the general public.
Fun Facts
- Vanilla is the most popular flavor of Ice Cream.
- Ice Cream Soda was invented in 1874.
- Did you know it takes 50 licks to finish an Ice Cream cone?
- California produces the most Ice Cream in the United States.
There is plenty of opportunity to celebrate National Ice Cream Month starting on July 1st with National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day. July 17th gives a refreshing opportunity to enjoy National Peach Ice Cream Day. If you prefer to enjoy Ice Cream without any distractions, National Vanilla Ice Cream Day is for you.
HISTORY
President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month, along with the third Sunday of the month, as National Ice Cream Day.
#NationalIceCreamMonth
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
