 The U.S. dairy industry produces more than 1.6 billion gallons of ice cream a year, according to the International Dairy Foods Association. Americans eat 48 billion scoops of ice cream a year—$20 billion worth. Photo by Dusan Zidar | CSP.
July 2006
Revised November 2008
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The History of Ice Cream & The Ice Cream Cone
Page 3: The Ice Cream Freezer
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1851: American Ingenuity Invents The Ice Cream Freezer
- Until 1800, ice cream remained a rare and exotic dessert enjoyed mostly by the elite. As with most foodstuffs, by the 19th century, ingredients and technology, including the development of ice harvesting and the invention of the insulated icehouse (around 1800), had evolved to give the public affordable access. Sugar became more affordable. But it took two other milestones to make ice cream an “industry.”
- In 1843, New Yorker Nancy M. Johnson applied for a patent for the hand-cranked ice cream freezer, with a movable crank and a center paddle to churn the mix
 around. After turning the crank for 45 minutes or so (much less labor than stirring with a spoon), the delicious treat emerged. The machine sold quickly, and within a short period of time, there were 70 improvements that made the invention even better, including those by White Mountain, shown in the photo at the left—still a popular brand today. You can purchase the descendant of that freezer and have a family bonding experience, taking turns cranking. Some people swear by it, and White Mountain sells thousands and thousands of machines each year, even though electric versions have been available for 50 years. Click here for information.
- In 1851, a Baltimore milk dealer named Jacob Fussell, with an excess of milk on his hands, became the father of the ice cream industry by turning it into milk that would not go sour: ice cream. He established the first large-scale commercial ice cream plant. This allowed the previously expensive product to be offered at affordable prices. Fussell opened ice cream parlors as far west as Texas. Many were still around well into the 20th century.[4] Fussell later sold his business to Borden. Others followed suit:
Hood’s in Boston, Hydrox in St. Louis, Breyer’s in Philadelphia.
[4] Source: Wikipedia.
- The development of industrial refrigeration by German engineer Carl von Linde during the 1870s eliminated the need to cut and store natural ice. Later, in 1926, the perfection of the continuous-process freezer allowed commercial mass production of ice cream and gave birth to the modern ice cream industry.
Continue To Page 4: The Ice Cream Soda
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