Preparation, uses, and tips
Ice cream is enjoyed just as it is. It can also be used to make milk shakes, sodas,
sundaes, floats, and other classic soda-fountain combinations. Scoops of ice cream still make
an attractive dessert. It can be paired with fresh fruit or
nuts, or with French or Italian desserts for a sophisticated presentation. If you have a
hard time resisting ice cream, it’s probably best to purchase this rich dessert in small
portions.
Buying and storing tips
When buying ice cream at the grocery store, make it one of your last purchases so it
won’t have time to melt before you get home. Pack it with other frozen foods, ask for a
freezer bag, or pack it near other chilled foods to keep them cold as well.
Until a container of ice cream is opened, it can be stored for about 2 months in the
freezer at 0°F (–18°C). It can be kept longer at –15°F
(–26°C), but most home freezers don’t maintain this low a temperature. To
partially soften ice cream to make it easier to serve, the container can be placed in the
refrigerator for about 15 minutes; serve the desired portion, then return it to the freezer.
After they are fully thawed, ice-cream products should not be refrozen.
Varieties
Although an ever-changing menu of ice-cream flavors and products tempts us these days, the
top five flavors in the United States in 1999 were still the great old familiar ones vanilla,
chocolate, Neapolitan (the famous vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry combination), cookies and
cream, and butter pecan.
Ice cream is now produced around the world in dozens of flavors, and in low-sugar, low-fat,
and fat-free varieties.
Nutrition Highlights
Ice cream (chocolate, whole-milk), 1/2 cup
(66g)
Calories: 142
Protein: 2.5g
Carbohydrate: 18.6g
Total Fat: 7.2g
Fiber: 0.0g