Poll: Since Summer Is Upon Us...

... what better simple pleasure than ice cream!

I left a post in the "Friends & Fun" forum mentioning how I had my annual first cone of the summer and what a treat it always is to have "parlor ice cream" in the summertime.

That also got me to thinking how lots of people enjoy ice cream yet everyone has a different preference for its "ideal" frozen point. Perhaps I should've looked in the archives but I don't believe this aspect of ice cream has been polled before, although this surely isn't the first general ice cream post...

At any rate, the thought here is not what your favorite TYPE or flavor of ice cream is, but how do you most prefer it texturally?

This might be chalked up to me being overly-trivial again if it weren't for the fact that I know several people/family members who indeed prefer ice cream at various stages of its frozen consistency.

Now, myself, I prefer ice cream hard. For me, ice cream is "meant" to be a freshly hard frozen texture with an almost chewy makeup. I like when you get that almost pliable stretch from it when licking off a chunk. Perhaps I'm a bigger fan of being generous with the stabilizers in the mix (I believe that accentuates an ice cream's firmness and chewiness). Ice cream is still fine when it's soft-serve or a bit melted but I prefer that fresh, cold, hard BODY to it, if possible.

On the other hand, several in my family prefer soft-serve to hard. To them, ice cream is just better and more enjoyable to eat when it's NOT hard. Just different approaches of taste and texture but ultimately loving the same thing.

In addition, I also know some who will let ice cream sit and thaw a bit. To me, it becomes less "ice cream" and more just "cold dairy sugar soup", but to them the soupiness makes the ice cream more "indulgent" and rich and, thus, better.

Perhaps the preference for hard, soft or melted is part regional or country-based as well. If gelato, for instance, is how you love "ice cream desserts", then the preference for soft is obviously inherent by the very style itself.

There's certainly no wrong or right here of course. Much like how some may prefer leather to silk etc, just curious what texture and temperature point is most ideal to your mouth when indulging in this most indulgent treat?

Jeff

A constant source of friction with my spouse: he likes it much meltier than I do. (Who builds them like that???)

Fun question Jeff!
To be really specific, when eating it out of a bowl or cup I like mine a bit "melty" so that when I take a spoonful, I get some firm ice cream with melty stuff surrounding it. When I was a kid, I used to stir my ice cream in quick circles to end up with soft serve in a bowl. I don't do that anymore, but don't like it rock hard, unless it's in a cone. It's easier to eat that way, and doesn't drip all over my hand!
Len on the other hand loves only rock hard ice cream. If it even has a bit of the melty stuff around it, he considers the treat a waste of calories.

[Jenise]

Rock hard; if I'd wanted a milk shake I'd have ordered one, and I've had exactly one milk shake in my life and would prefer to never have another.

(Tip: eat ice cream on cold days so it doesn't melt. )

Rock hard; if I'd wanted a milk shake I'd have ordered one, and I've had exactly one milk shake in my life and would prefer to never have another.

(Tip: eat ice cream on cold days so it doesn't melt. )

Very wise words!

Jeff

[Robin Garr]

Rock hard; if I'd wanted a milk shake I'd have ordered one, and I've had exactly one milk shake in my life and would prefer to never have another.

(Tip: eat ice cream on cold days so it doesn't melt. )

Very wise words!

That's what Mary would say, but for me, Carrie expressed it so well that I'll just quote her: "when eating it out of a bowl or cup I like mine a bit "melty" so that when I take a spoonful, I get some firm ice cream with melty stuff surrounding it. "

Fun question Jeff!
To be really specific, when eating it out of a bowl or cup I like mine a bit "melty" so that when I take a spoonful, I get some firm ice cream with melty stuff surrounding it. When I was a kid, I used to stir my ice cream in quick circles to end up with soft serve in a bowl. I don't do that anymore, but don't like it rock hard, unless it's in a cone. It's easier to eat that way, and doesn't drip all over my hand!
Len on the other hand loves only rock hard ice cream. If it even has a bit of the melty stuff around it, he considers the treat a waste of calories.

Yes, the bowl versus cone point is a good one. I'm usually thinking in terms of a "parlor cone" thus I always think of ice cream as best when hard. Something about the modest to heavy melting on the cones just diminishes the pleasure of it I think.

I even prefer it in the bowl as hard as possible but I do agree its more WORK to spoon! LOL. That's one clear benefit of melted ice cream. Yet my mouth and texture perception still likes to think it wins out over the cramping of my hand trying to dig into it. So I guess hard still wins either way, if left to the preference of my mouth anyways..

Jeff
Jeff

Much of what passes for 'soft serve' in the US is an abomination and an affront to human civilization.

But, the problem with ice cream that is literally rock hard is that the flavor is less distinctive and it's more about ice. Also, the texture is less rich and seductive.

But, the problem with ice cream that is literally rock hard is that the flavor is less distinctive and it's more about ice. Also, the texture is less rich and seductive.

True. And yet I think that's what I love - the icey/chewy/body component of ice cream, mainly.

Like anything, it probably just boils down to personal preference or whether one's personal emphasis is more ICE cream or ice CREAM. I like the seductiveness (cream) to accent the icy hard body (or melt within my mouth) but not to have that richness melt or overpower the body before my tongue can do it.

Perhaps its somewhat synonymous with a soda pop, for me. The taste and even the "sensuousness" of the sodas texture is increased when warm but I just like that icy cold tactile directness of the bubbles when they're fresh, sharp and "hard".

I'm also like that with red wines too, for better or worse. The chewiness and chalky tannins are what I gravitate to. To some degree, even at the expense of a more concentrated but "melted" velvety taste and flavor.

I do prefer languid, delicate, even modestly warmed champagnes though! So go figure...

Jeff

It's not summer down here, but any time of the year is good for ice cream!
I prefer it a little on the soft side, so the spoon sinks in effortlessly, and the ice cream melts quickly in the mouth.