What is frozen custard? It is one of my all-time favorite desserts, available only in Vegas and here in St. George on the west coast. Actually, I found a few locations in Arizona, not far from Scottsdale. The St. George location is located on St. George Boulevard, about a mile from the Interstate. It is the first place we stop when visiting St. George. From their website: It is a super premium ice cream very similar to homemade ice cream. It is made fresh regularly throughout the day. It is made with all natural ingredients. There are no preservatives or artificial ingredients like seen in many store bought products. It has some egg in it, which provides a smooth creamy texture.
It is served at approximately 26 degrees F which allows your taste buds to get a true taste. Regular ice cream is served at approximately 10 degree F which tends to “numb” the taste buds.
Another big difference is the air content. Although all ice cream has air whipped into it to become a frozen confection, frozen custard has much less air. This make it heavier, fresher and therefore, weighs a lot more than most ice cream. A 1/2 gallon of our frozen custard weighed against a 1/2 gallon of regular ice cream weighs considerably more.
There is a legend that frozen custard was created by an ice cream vendor who added eggs to his ice cream to prevent the ice cream from melting too quickly. To his delight, and ours, a new premium ice cream was discovered. This ice cream with it’s richer taste and smoother texture became known as “frozen custard”.
There are claims that the first frozen custard machine was invented in 1919 and was taken to Coney Island, where it’s said 18,460 cones were sold in the first weekend. Vendors soon brought this treat across the country to carnivals and circuses. Before long, frozen custard stands were found on the East Coast along the beaches and boardwalks. By the 1940s, there were hundreds of stands across the East Coast and Midwest.
My favorite item is the “concrete”, a blend of toppings (usually nuts) with the frozen custard, into a large cup. After being blended, it resembles concrete in texture. But the taste combination is fantastic. We plan to visit at least twice in a 24 hour period!
