July 15: National Ice Cream Month

California is the nation’s number one ice cream producer, churning out over 142 million gallons of ice-cold creamy goodness each year.

Former California governor, President Ronald Reagan, recognized America’s love for ice cream and declared July National Ice Cream Month back in 1984.

Some key results of a survey done by the California Milk Board:

Over two-thirds of consumers nationwide say they find themselves eating ice cream, frozen yogurt or gelato most frequently in front of the TV or on the couch (64%).  Young adults, ages 18-34 more so than others (20%)

Women are more likely than men to eat ice cream, frozen yogurt or gelato in bed.

Maybe it’s the drip factor but parents are more likely than non-parents to eat ice cream, frozen yogurt or gelato outside (19% versus 11%, respectively).

The U.S. ice cream industry generated total revenues of $10 billion in 2010, with take-home ice cream sales representing the largest section of the market, generating revenues of $6.8 billion or 67.7 percent of the market’s overall value.

About 9 percent of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream, contributing significantly to the economic well-being of the nation’s dairy industry.

Here are some other tips to enjoying your frozen treat:

To prevent an ice cream cone from becoming soggy while you eat, drop a mini marshmallow in the bottom of the cone before scooping.

To soften ice cream, transfer it to the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes before serving. A faster option is to use a microwave but be careful of ice cream soup! Place the ice cream in its cardboard container into a microwave set to High: microwave one pint for 10-15 seconds; one quart for 15-25 seconds; and a half-gallon for 30-40 seconds. (Don’t use microwave if ice cream is in a plastic container.)

After serving ice cream, return carton to the freezer immediately to help prevent the formation of ice crystals that can occur when ice cream is partially thawed and then re-frozen. This will keep the texture smooth for your next bowl (if it lasts that long).

Charles E. Minches of St. Louis, Missouri is credited with inventing the ice cream cone. On July 23, 1904 at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, he filled a pastry cone with two scoops of ice cream to make the first ice cream cone. There is some controversy over this claim. Italo Marchiony of New York City filed a patent for the ice cream cone months before the fair opened. And, he was selling lemon ice in comes as early as 1896.

Read about the history of ice cream at http://www.idfa.org/news–views/media-kits/ice-cream/the-history-of-ice-cream/