All the local ice cream shops are now open for the season, and I have already made several visits to enjoy the frozen dairy treats they offer. The delicious frozen dairy products of today evolved from the flavored ices popular with the Romans in the 4th century B.C. The hand-crank freezer, patented in 1846, led to the establishment of the first commercial ice cream plant in Baltimore in 1851.

Ice cream can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, from sundaes to parfaits, milkshakes to floats. And don't forget the ever-popular ice cream cone. Nearly everyone loves ice cream, but what is it exactly?

Ice cream is a chilled dessert made with one or more dairy ingredients (milk, concentrated fat-free milk, cream, condensed milk) and other ingredients such as sweetening agents and flavorings. Its unique creamy texture is produced by rapidly freezing and mixing methods.

Federal standards require ice cream to contain a minimum of 10 percent milk fat (about 7 grams of fat per 1/2 cup serving) and 20 percent total milk solids by weight. Reduced-fat, lowfat, light and fat-free ice creams all contain less fat per serving.

Ice cream does not meet the requirements to be part of the 3-A-Day campaign (remember this is three servings a day of the dairy products milk, cheese or yogurt only), but it is still a nutritious food providing high-quality protein, riboflavin, calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals.

To see for yourself how milk becomes delicious ice cream, try making homemade ice cream in a bag.

To follow the latest trend among popular ice cream retailers, try Ice Cream “Mix-ins” at home. Set up a “mix-in” station with a variety of ice cream flavors and toppings such as candy or fruit.

Place a large scoop of softened ice cream on a frozen cookie sheet and then sprinkle on toppings. Use two spades or large spoons to fold in the ingredients.

In honor of Mother's Day, I wanted to give a special thanks to all the moms who make healthy food choices for their families and make sure they get their 3-A-Day.

Busy moms especially need the refueling power of dairy three times a day. What better way to show our moms we love them than with a dairy treat like ice cream.

Molly O'Hara is the Cayuga County Dairy Princess.

Ice cream fun facts

• The No. 1 selling flavor of ice cream in the United States is vanilla, followed by chocolate

• George Washington spent more than $200 on ice cream during the summer of 1790

• Hot fudge sundaes were first introduced to the world in Hollywood in 1906

• Thomas Jefferson has been credited with introducing the “French-style” ice cream made with eggs to America

Homemade Ice Cream

1 cup table salt or rock salt

1 cup milk

2-3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Ice cubes

1 sandwich-sized sealable plastic bag

A one-gallon sealable plastic bag

Put the milk, sugar and vanilla in the small bag and seal it with as little air as possible. Squeeze the bag carefully until all ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

Put the small bag in the large bag, then add ice to the large bag until it is 3/4 full. Make sure the bag is sealed before turning it continuously for a couple of minutes. Next, open the large bag and add salt. Gently squeeze the ice-salt mixture to mix well. Reseal the large bag and turn it over continuously until the ice cream is the right consistency. Remove the small bag and rinse with cold water before opening.