I scream against ice cream consolidation

How to stick it to the ice-cream Man 22

screaming about ice cream

I've written a lot about the consolidation of U.S. food markets, and have become jaded to facts such as: just four firms slaughter 83.5 percent of cows, and so on.

But I actually gagged on my ice cream when I read this bit in BusinessWeek:

The days of mom-and-pop parlors and local brands are fading fast. Today, the $59 billion ice cream industry is dominated by two global giants: Switzerland's Nestlé (NESN.DE) and Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever (UN). Together, they control more than one-third of the worldwide market -- and half of ice cream sales in the U.S. -- and they're looking to expand as they move into developing regions in Asia and Latin America. [Emphasis added.]

How did this happen? "Nestlé snapped up Häagen-Dazs, Dreyer's, and Swiss brand Mövenpick. Unilever bought Breyers Ice Cream and Ben & Jerry's. Today, Nestlé boasts a 17.5 % share of the world market, while Unilever is close behind with 16%," BW reports.

My word. But there's no need to succumb to all that oversweet, mediocre 'scream made from industrial, hormone-laden milk. Forget about it. Here's an easy way to make your own. Deconsolidate the ice cream market, one scoop at a time!

I've been an enthusiastic ice cream maker for years, and have churned out gallons of it for farm dinners here at Maverick Farms. The process for making classic, custard-based ice cream isn't difficult, but requires lots of attention and patience.

And you've got to be pretty organized to pull it off. It requires that you own an ice cream machine, the cannister of which you typically have to have to freeze at least 24 hours in advance. And if you use an old-fashioned ice cream maker that doesn't rely on a prefrozen cannister, you'll have to deal with lots of chopped ice and rock salt.

My devotion to great ice cream caused me to soldier on despite these inconveniences -- though I've occasionally crumbled under their pressure. And then I discovered the genius of semifreddo, the Italian ice cream preparation that tends to be overshadowed by gelato.

Semifreddo requires no special equipment, save for a whisk -- although a simple electric beater will come in handy. And unlike classic custard-based ice cream, it needs no cooking. And yet its texture is perfect -- smooth, creamy and rich.

What follows is my recipe for honey semifreddo, honey being abundant in farmers markets now. Note that such a simple preparation shines a bright light on the ingredients, so use the best cream, eggs, and honey you can get your hands on.

I love featuring local honey because it offers a direct way to taste the surrounding landscape.

Honey semifreddo
3/4 cup raw local honey
3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
2 cups chilled heavy cream
A pinch of sea salt

With a whisk or electric mixer in a small bowl, beat the honey and yolks until thick and pale. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk egg yolks whites until they hold stiff peaks. In a large chilled metal bowl, whip chilled cream and a pinch of salt until cream holds soft peaks. Gently, carefully fold in the egg yolk-honey mixture until fully incorporated. Gently and carefully fold in the egg whites until fully incorporated. Transfer to freezing container and freeze for at least four hours.

Yields about a quart and a half of semifreddo.

Note: To adapt this recipe to other flavor schemes, replace the honey with about 3/4 cup raw organic sugar, whipping it into the egg yolks. Fold in other flavorings at the end: ground nuts such as pistachios, cooled, melted chocolate, loosened with cream, fruit purees, etc.

Grist food editor Tom Philpott farms and cooks at Maverick Farms, a sustainable-agriculture nonprofit and small farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Follow my Twitter feed; contact me at tphilpott[at]grist[dot]org.

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  1. wiscidea Posted 6:37 am
    28 Aug 2007

    WhyWhy did Ben and Jerry sell their business?
    How will progressives "take over" if businesses that are socially responsible and wildly successful inevitably allow companies like Unilever to seize their operations?
    The "right" likes to say the "left" cannot succeed in business. Is it because the "right" tends to buy all the successful businesses and the "left", like most human beings, cannot resist exchanging long-term influence for short-term gold?
    It does not bode well for social and economic progress.

    Forward!

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  2. Delay And Deny's avatar

    Delay And Deny Posted 7:03 am
    28 Aug 2007

    Tillamook

    I always buy Tillamook here in Kent, WA
    http://www.tillamookcheese.com/FAQS/Ice_Cream_Questions.a ...
    It's "farmer owned"...and delicious...

    John Bailo


    Sutext:

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  3. Pippin Posted 12:46 pm
    28 Aug 2007

    TillamookRight! Tillamook! There's nothing like independent-farm-fresh high fructose corn syrup, artifical flavor, xanthan, guar, and carob bean gums, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate, microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose gum, mono- and diglycerides, polysorbate 80, and carrageenan. (quoted from the French Vanilla ingredients posted on their website)
    I think I'll keep making my own.

    Pippin

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  4. meander Posted 3:20 pm
    28 Aug 2007

    Recipe errorThe recipe looks delicious.  But I think this line in the recipe has a typo:  "In another bowl, whisk egg yolks until they hold stiff peaks."
    I'm guessing that you mean "whisk egg whites until they hold stiff peaks", as it is rather uncommon to whisk whites with a large quantity of honey.



    ---

    meander, a.k.a., Mental Masala at Ethicurean

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  5. ffletcher Posted 5:02 pm
    28 Aug 2007

    We May Have to Consider Municipal Food ProductsIt may be time to consider a limited venture into food products by municipalities.  Granted in cities like Burbank and Glendale California we have the resources to do an effective job in producing quality food products,as long as we focus on local needs and tastes and can do a substantiable development.  It is worth consideration.  But smaller municipalities in Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Vermont, Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wiscousin, and other states with strong municipal roots may want to consider such action in conjunction with their local farm organizations.
    BTW, Wonder Bread shut down in Glendale today.  It may be a sign of the times.  They blame the union, but they are big enough to overcome union issues, hell their bread sell for less than their competition.
    Any ideas of good food products you might consider be developed by your local city?

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  6. Tom Philpott's avatar

    Tom Philpott Posted 10:20 pm
    28 Aug 2007

    Thanks, MeanderYou're right; that should read  "In another bowl, whisk egg whites until they hold stiff peaks."
    For some reason, I can't fix the error now; I'll try to get it foxed soon.

    Victual Reality

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  7. askantik's avatar

    askantik Posted 11:33 pm
    28 Aug 2007

    And for us vegan people...We aren't gonna be left out!  Check out this lovely blog:
    http://veganicecream.blogspot.com/
    PS I've tried making ice cream with silken tofu.  They always claim to be good, but mine always turned out disgusting.  That's why I'm glad I found the Vegan Ice Cream Paradise blog.  The base is soy creamer (Silk coffee creamer) and any non-dairy milk.  They're easy to make.
    I recently made coconut ice cream (using coconut milk... mmm, fat!) and then added shredded coconut, chocolate chips, almond pieces, and used half chocolate soy milk.  It was awesome-- like Almond Joy ice cream!

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  8. Roz Cummins Posted 11:40 pm
    28 Aug 2007

    A fantastic new Ice Cream cookbook...My friend Jeri Quinzio just published a wonderful book full of recipes for ice cream, grantias, sorbets, slush, frozen mousse, and sauces, including two recipes by yours truly. It's a great book and it contains a short history of ice cream. Jeri is an ice cream historian and her more comprehensive book on the history of ice cream should be published sometime in the near future. Meanwhile, check out her current offering:
    Ice Cream: The Ultimate Cold Comfort

    (http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Cream-Ultimate-Cold-Comfort/dp/ ...)
    Also, I posted my grandmother's recipe for lemon ice cream with my own recipe for blackberry sauce on Grist last summer. I'll see if I can find the link. It's pretty damn good if I say so myself!

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  9. Roz Cummins Posted 11:46 pm
    28 Aug 2007

    Here are the recipesfor lemon ice cream and warm blackberry sauce.
    http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/9/1/184315/2277

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  10. Czar Posted 11:53 pm
    28 Aug 2007

    This happened 7 years agoBen & Jerry's was purchased by Unilever back in 2000 and it has not changed too much since. It has better distribution and a bigger sales force. There are more scoop shops that scoop their unbelievable flavors than ever.
    Unilever has for the most part had a hands off approach to Ben & Jerry's. Ben and Jerry are still a part of the company, although without any specific responsibility. They visit Scoop Shops, vocalize on political and social issues and are frequently invited to do media appearances.
    Oh yeah, the ice cream has been Bovine Growth Hormone FREE for years and now uses cage free eggs as well. Viva la Cherry Garcia!
    ..Czar

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  11. cmbryant1 Posted 12:12 am
    29 Aug 2007

    that's food science!YUM! not.
    Isn't it insane?! All this crap is added so that they can preserve it, make the ice crystals smaller, give it "mouthfeel" (some gums are used to replace fat), and all sorts of other wonderful qualities...
    And part of the reason for all this is so that it can be made in one location and then shipped all over the country without changing.
    We (consumers) control the marketplace ---- so, if we make informed choices, buy local, buy organic, buy from companies that take steps toward sustainability then we can make a difference!

    Cory

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  12. gmunger Posted 12:47 am
    29 Aug 2007

    vote with your dollarsRight Cory. I buy my ice cream from my neighbors. Their "links" page provides web links to many smallish-to-regional ice cream purveyors (as well as the usual corporate suspects). Perhaps one of your neighbors makes ice cream too!

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  13. cmbryant1 Posted 12:52 am
    29 Aug 2007

    why?probably for the same reason that Kiehls sold out to Loreal, Powerbar sold to Nestle, Glaceau (Vitamin Water) sold to Pepsi (I think it was) --- because the almighty dollar speaks --- loudly...  And because these companies put the pressure on.  This is one of the main modes for growth --- aquisitions and mergers --- yuck!  So, these small companies come out with a great product and then the big ones buy it, put their R&D teams to work to "optimize" it (in other words screw it up with loads of additives and cheap ingredients).
    Even Whole Foods has to aquire (Wild Oats) to grow enough to keep the stock market happy --- ugghhh...

    Cory

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  14. cmbryant1 Posted 12:54 am
    29 Aug 2007

    thanks gmunger!that's a great resource -- thank you!

    maybe I'll include it in my next Yogi Food Karma Alert...

    Cory

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  15. cmbryant1 Posted 12:56 am
    29 Aug 2007

    true thatYeah, in this case it seems that the parent company may be savvy enough to keep a good thing good. There is hope!  ;-)

    Cory

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  16. cmbryant1 Posted 12:58 am
    29 Aug 2007

    the rise and fall of Wonder...Marketing success --- white bread sales are in the crapper -- and Twinkies aren't flying off the shelves (and thanks to the wonders of preservatives they'll last on the shelf for years to come!)...

    Cory

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  17. bike2work Posted 2:50 am
    29 Aug 2007

    Chilly PhillyFor all those in the delaware valley...here is a great alternative to the ice cream bad guys. The vanilla malt chip is really good!
    http://www.chillyphilly.com/
    Just a fan

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  18. blueberrysushi Posted 4:04 am
    29 Aug 2007

    Dari MartSo, there's this awesome company called Dari Mart and they have mini marts around Eugene, Junction City, and Corvallis (OR) and they have the typical mini mart stuff plus they have locally-produced Lochmead ice cream and milk. The ice cream is awesome, and the milk is cheap and sold in containers that have a hefty deposit, so you bring them back and get your deposit and they're reused! The model of a mini mart that sells the best dairy products around is incredible. Lochmead is also available at local health food stores, but I love going to Dari Marts and picking up a six-pack and a gallon of local ice cream!

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  19. pyewacket Posted 4:14 am
    29 Aug 2007

    More local ice creamI love my ice cream maker, but I love going out for a cone just as much. If people are looking for local ice cream providers in the New England area, I have a list of farms that makes their own ice cream at the bottom of an article about the Great Brook Farm State Park ice cream stand in Massachusetts: here.

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  20. amc89 Posted 6:03 am
    29 Aug 2007

    Thanks for the vegan recipe askantikI've also made the tofu ice cream recipe in the handy cookbook How It All Vegan.  It was pretty good.  
    For more info on how most dairy cows in this country are treated, visit: http://www.hsus.org/farm/resources/research/welfare/welfa ...
    "Dairy cows endure annual cycles of artificial insemination, mechanized milking for 10 out of 12 months(61) (including 7 months of their 9-month pregnancies), and giving birth. The cows are routinely given hormones to get the highest milk yield possible. According to Dr. John Webster, "The amount of work done by the [dairy] cow in peak lactation is immense. To achieve a comparable high work rate a human would have to jog for about 6 hours a day, every day."(62) This rigorous cycle overburdens the cows, who are considered "productive" for only two years(63) and are slaughtered when four years old.(64)"

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  21. daveK Posted 2:36 am
    30 Aug 2007

    Ben & Jerry's has changed!I just wanted to chime in here regarding the Ben & Jerry's change of ownership - take a look at the ingredients list - it now includes water!  You can't make good ice cream with water.  Things like this happen when soap guys takeover making food.

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  22. Tom Philpott's avatar

    Tom Philpott Posted 2:34 am
    31 Aug 2007

    Thanks, DaveKNor does this bit from the BusinessWeek piece inspire confidence in corporate Ben & Jerry's:
    Dreyer's low-fat "Slow Churned" line, with 50% less fat and 30% fewer calories, has proved a runaway success, even forcing Unilever to roll out similar products under its Ben & Jerry's marque.
    All that lowfat crap is full of adulterating chemicals to substitute for the "mouthfeel" of real ingredients.

    Victual Reality

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