How many readers remember making snow ice-cream? I sure remember my grandparents and parents making snow ice cream in my youth.
I found this interesting article in the Maple Hill News Items for February 1881:
“The church social of last week was a brilliant affair. We wish to tender our heartiest thanks to Mrs. McMillan for her kind hospitality and trouble she went to in getting up what we call a tip top supper. The table was well decorated and abundant with oysters, fine cakes, pies, turkey, and snow ice-cream. Music was provided by the Smith Brothers, Miss Mable Warren and Miss Wallace.”
Catherine McMillan was a widow who lived on an 80-acre farm south of Maple Hill. Mrs. McMillan was fairly well off and built a very nice frame house on the corner of what is now the St. Vianney Catholic Church property. The last family I remember living in the house were the Younts.
Oysters seemed to be one of the rare treats that attracted families to these dinners. At that time, before there was a railroad in Maple Hill, they used to be ordered from the East or Kansas City and shipped to St. Marys, Kansas where they were picked up and brought to Maple Hill. The Warrens often had oysters for their community socials. They were generally not served raw or cooked, but in oyster stew made with rich cream.
Snow ice-cream was served as the dessert. I remember my grandmothers making many flavors of snow ice cream, but my favorite was maple. Grandmother Clark or Grandmother Corbin would go out into an area of the yard or garden and gather a dish pan of the cleanest snow they could find, bring it into the house and add fresh cream, sugar and flavoring to the snow. I think they both also added a cap of fresh vanilla. I don’t remember them putting eggs into the snow ice cream—but at 70 my memory may be inaccurate! All I remember is that it was every bit as good as the ice cream we made in a freezer during the summer.
If we had snow in Palm Springs, which we don’t, I think I would still be afraid to gather it and make snow ice cream, which is a shame!!
Do any of you remember making and eating snow ice cream???