Maryland farms, shops dish out homemade ice cream

State has historical links to summer refreshments
 

BALTIMORE – (July 8 ) – Eat your favorite flavor of ice cream – or try a new one – and savor Maryland's Buy Local Challenge at the same time.

Every summer, the challenge invites Maryland residents and visitors to eat at least one item from a local farm every day for a week. Maryland farms produce an array of vegetables and fruits, meats, and dairy products. One of those dairy products is ice cream, which makes it possible for Marylanders to pay tribute to both the Challenge and National Ice Cream Month in July.

"Maryland's more than 500 dairy farms have expanded their on-farm dairy processing in recent years in response to market demand for products like ice cream," said Gov. Martin O'Malley. "This diversification allows our family-run farms to stay profitable while promoting a smart, green and growing Maryland."

"Dairy farming is a vital part of Maryland's agriculture," says Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. "These farms are associated with a quarter million acres of open, productive farmland." Milk and dairy products accounted for $144.6 million in Maryland's farm receipts during 2009. That year, Maryland dairy farms produced 997 million pounds of milk.

The state's ice-cream history goes back to the mid-18th century. It was a Maryland native son who reportedly first served ice cream in the New World. Thomas Bladen, born in Maryland in 1698, served as proprietary governor from 1742 to 1746. (He had lived in England for much of his early life and returned to Maryland to become governor.) At an official dinner in 1744, he served ice cream with strawberries and milk, according to a written account by one of his guests. The word was out. However, it was another 33 years before the first ice cream parlor opened in New York.

Maryland made ice cream history again in the following century. Ten years before the start of the Civil War, in 1851, Jacob Fussell converted his Baltimore milk plant into the nation's first large-scale ice cream factory. By making ice cream, Fussell could maintain steady demand for the cream he produced and not worry about it going bad. Baltimore had become "the birthplace of the ice cream industry" – an achievement that the Maryland Historical Society has recognized with a plaque at the East Baltimore location of Fussell's ice cream plant.

Today, ice cream – in more flavors than Fussell could have imagined – is standard refreshment, especially during the summer. Maryland has numerous dairies, creameries and specialty shops that serve up your favorite scoops. Ice cream, though, is not the only ubiquitous summer pick-me-up in Maryland.

Snowballs – cups of crushed ice with flavored syrup – are a Maryland tradition. However, unlike Chesapeake Bay crabs – another state tradition – snowballs are relatively unique to Maryland's borders. (New Orleans is one of the few other locations where you'll find them.) During the Great Depression, snowballs in Baltimore were known as "penny sundaes" or "hard-times sundaes." Some historians say the city's vaudeville houses and theaters sold snowballs during the late 1800s, before air conditioning.

Snow cones, Hawaiian shave ice, Italian ice and granita are all different from snowballs. The ice in a snowball is not as coarse as some of these other ice desserts, and snowballs are usually served in regular Styrofoam or paper cups, not cone-shaped cups. Some snowball vendors offer marshmallow or ice cream as a topping. Also, snowballs come with plastic spoons, not straws.

Here are places across the state where you'll find some of Maryland's best homemade ice cream and snowballs:

Western Maryland

Lakeside Creamery, Oakland (Garrett County) – With two locations in the Deep Creek Lake area, Lakeside features more than 90 flavors of ice cream and sherbet made on the premises. Seasonal fruit flavors use local fruit. Lakeside Creamery Café offers array of coffee and specialty drinks. Mountain City Coffeehouse and Creamery also serves Lakeside ice cream in Frostburg.

Nutter's Ice Cream Shop, Sharpsburg (Washington County) – Nutter's is an old-fashioned ice cream shop – family-owned and operated since 1996 – that serves 32 flavors of ice cream, along with other items such as a peach pound-cake sundae. It's located by the town square and is near both Antietam National Battlefield and the C&O Canal Towpath.

Queen City Creamery and Deli, Cumberland (Allegany County) – Located in a renovated building that features a re-created 1940s soda fountain, Queen City offers frozen custard – also known as New York-style ice cream. The frozen custard is made daily and comes in three flavors each day.

Central Maryland

Annapolis Ice Cream Company, Annapolis (Anne Arundel County) – Located on Main Street downtown, the shop offers ice cream that's made on the premises with natural and organic ingredients. Flavors range from the standards to raspberry chocolate chip, coffee Oreo (made with real coffee) and Key Lime.

Bomboy's Home Made Ice Cream, Havre de Grace (Harford County) – Across the street from Bomboy's Home Made Candy, the ice cream shop scoops out Duck, Duck, Goose;Salty Dawg; raspberry truffle; and Kokamocha among its everyday selections. Seasonal flavors include Havre de Nuts, Chocolate Explosion and Cinnamonkey. Look for the black and white cow outside.

Dominion Ice Cream, Baltimore (near Johns Hopkins University) – Have your veggies for dessert. Dominion always has six of its 11 veggie-infused ice cream flavors on hand – sweet potato, spinach and cucumber are favorites, says proprietor Donna Calloway. Using spices and special processing, the veggie flavors are subtle. Traditional flavors, smoothies and ice-cream cupcakes are also available.

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