Frozen custard

Frozen custard is a type of cold dessert similar to ice cream, made with eggs in addition to cream and sugar. It typically contains 10% butterfat and 1.4% egg yolk.

Air is blended into the mixture of ingredients until its volume increases by approximately 20%; this increase is called the overrun. By comparison, ice cream may have an overrun as large as 100%, which means that the final product is half air. This gives the ice cream a coarser texture. A custard will have a thick creamy texture compared to ice cream. Frozen custard must be served at 26 degrees Fahrenheit, which is warmer than the 10 degrees Fahrenheit at which ice cream is served. Some people feel that modern frozen custard machines whip too much air into the product, and therefore put a premium on stands that use old machines.

Frozen custard is generally prepared fresh at the place of sale, rather than stored, however, it is occasionally available in supermarkets or by mail order. Generally, modern frozen custard stands provide only three different flavors per day, vanilla, chocolate, and a flavor of the day. This flavor of a day is enumerated on a custard calendar made available by the store either in paper form, or online. The older vintage custard stands tend to have a dozen or so standard flavors that change gradually over time.

Frozen custard originated in Coney Island, New York, by Archie C. Kohr. He brought the first frozen custard machine there in 1919 and sold approximately 18,000 cones during his first weekend there. During the 1933 World’s Fair, frozen custard was brought to Chicago. By the 1940s, frozen custard stands could be found throughout the East and Midwest of the United States.

Frozen custard is particularly popular in Wisconsin, and is sold in many places in the United States by Culver's and Andy's restaurants. There are three major frozen custard franchises in Milwaukee - Gilles, Kopp's, and Leon's. Many Milwaukeeans claim to be able to identify distinct differences between the three, and strong allegiances to one brand over the others are common.

Perhaps because the dish is so identified with Wisconsin, and Milwaukee in particular, there is a custard stand in Northern Virginia called "Milwaukee Frozen Custard."

Also in Northern Virginia is Carl's Frozen Custard. Carl’s popularity can be traced back to 1947, when Carl’s first started serving the public. Carl’s has become so popular that some travelers passing through Fredericksburg on Interstate 95 will stop by just for some frozen custard. Carl's had to remove their "frozen custard" sign and replace it with "creme, shakes, and sundaes" because Virginia updated ice cream content laws in the 50's to require 4% by volume egg yolks. Carl's was featured in the PBS program, An Ice Cream Show, and is known for putting a final twisted scoop on top of their cones.

It is also very popular in St. Louis, Missouri, where the two Ted Drewes custard stands are iconic. It is also sold at many other independent custard stands.

While Frozen Custard restaurants were almost non-existent in Minnesota 10 years ago, they began to increase in popularity thanks to restaurants like Culver's, Adele's Frozen Custard and Liberty Frozen Custard.

Abbott's Frozen Custard has been selling frozen custard in the Rochester, New York since 1902.

Startup companies such as Frozen Custard Outfitters have been setting up non-franchise frozen custard shops for the last twenty years with frozen custard machines, restaurant equipment, frozen custard mix and training.

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Ice cream | Wisconsin culture | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Cuisine of the Midwestern United States

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