Here we are, the middle of July and the temperatures are on the rise. So, where is that sound that brings out our childhood delight? “What sound?”, you ask. It is the jingle, the jingle played by the Good Humor or Mr. Softee truck. All the kids lining up, at the usual stop, money in hand, to buy soft serve cones, rocket pops, éclair or strawberry shortcake.
Ah, but where I lived, as a kid, we had one more sound that would get us excited in summer’s heat. “What sound?”, you ask. It was the “ding-ding”, no, not “dun-dun”; I am not doing an episode of Law and Order here. “Ding-ding” of the bicycle bell located on the handlebar, and attached to the bicycle was a freezer on wheels, carrying cherry, lemon, grape and, my personal favorite, chocolate Italian ices. Getting out a scoop and pleated paper cup, the Italian ice man would fill the cup, pressing down to get the most inside, and then rounding out the top in a mound. It was sweet, it turned our tongues different colors, you could drink it as it melted inside the cup, but most important of all, it was cold.
What is Italian ice? Origin, of course, is Italian, but even there it is debated on what region. Supposedly, it is traced back to ancient Rome and the Apennine Mountain Range which runs through the center of Italy. Snow was always on the mountain tops, gathered in the warmer months, mixed with fruit, and was a refreshing treat in the sweltering heat. However, in Sicily, the same claim is made, but the snow came from Mount Etna. In Rome, it was called sorbetto; in Sicily, it was called granita, and while both used fresh fruit, an added sweetener was also included and that was honey.
Between 1880 and 1924, poverty in Southern Italy and Sicily forced many a citizen, of these regions, to immigrate to America. Italians became the fifth largest ethnic group in the USA, and the country benefited from their many skills, including culinary. So, is it any wonder that Italian ices did not become a huge hit, during the summer months. The cities were crowded, even back then, with street carts, people walking to and from employment, children playing, and others just going through day-to-day existence. Concrete buildings and cobblestone streets created virtual oven-like conditions with the heat pressing down, and no ventilation. One could not just go to the local convenience store, open the refrigerated section and grab a “cold one”.
Nowadays, we take a luxury like this for granted.
Ah, but here came the Italian ice man, with his icy confections keeping cool with block ice. It was momentary relief, but it still hit the spot.
Italian ice, sorbet and sherbet, are they not all the same product? Yes and no. They all, if the manufacturer cares about the quality, use pureed fresh fruit, ice and a natural sweetener like sugar or honey. However, sherbet adds another ingredient, a dairy product of milk, heavy cream or buttermilk. The added fat gives the sherbet a smoother texture equating it more to ice cream than an “ice”. If shopping for any of these in a market’s frozen section, read the labels! Some have artificial flavors and colors, and lots of sugar added, to fool you into thinking you are eating real fruit. Chances are, if the product states, “no sugar added”, real fruit which contains natural sugar itself, is your main ingredient.
Can Italian ice be homemade? You betcha! Back in the 1990s (aka the late 1900s), Martha Steward did a show on making “granita”, or the Sicilian version of Italian ice. Of course, she touted it as a very fancy dessert that would “wow your guests”. Anyway, three basic ingredients are needed: fresh fruit, ice and a sweetener. When making a citrus flavored ice, an additional tablespoon of freshly squeezed juice will give added flavor, and a zing to the tongue. Berries can be put into the blender whole, except for large strawberries which should be quarter, and green part removed of course. Larger fruit should be peeled and also cut up.
Homemade Italian Ice
Ingredients:
3 cups fresh fruit
2 Tbsp. honey or granulated sugar
3 cups ice (small cubes or crushed)
Option: one Tbsp. freshly squeezed juice of same fruit being used.
Preparation:
In a food processor or blender, blend the fruit, honey or sugar, optional juice, and 2 cups of ice until chunky. Add remaining one cup of ice and blend until completely smooth. Taste to see if more sweetener is necessary.
Pour the mixture into a 9” x 13” glass baking dish and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove dish from freezer and scrape with a fork until slushy. Continue to freeze for another 2 hours, repeating scraping once per hour.
Scoop the ice into dessert cups. The ice will be of a chunky looking consistency, if a smoother texture is desired, let it sit out for about five minutes. Warm the scoop slightly and run it over the top of the ice to smooth out the bumps.
Makes 4 cups.
Pioneer Day Weekend celebrations will be here soon, wonder if a vendor will be cooling our tongues down with a nice fruity ice?
Mary Cokenour
