Wright’s Dairy Farm’s New Streamline Ice Cream Trailer
From cow to cone: We got the scoop on the delicious flavors that come straight from the farm.
As many a Rhode Islander know, Wright’s Dairy Farm and Bakery is the go-to spot for milk and cream, fresh bread, cookies, cakes and other pastries galore. Locals and visitors alike can also order farm fresh scoops of ice cream from their brand new (and might we add, oh so shiny) Streamline trailer beginning tomorrow at the grand opening.
We talked with Kelly Lemoine, team member at Wright’s since 2008, on the cow to cone process, plus we got the scoop on the delicious offering of flavors that come straight from the farm.
Why an ice cream trailer?
We chose a trailer because we do not really have room in the retail store to add a scoop shop, and with the growing popularity of our pop up shops, we wanted to be able to scoop ice cream more often for our customers. Once we have an actual ice cream shop, which we are hoping for next season, then we can use the trailer to bring to events and farmer’s markets. The trailer is a great start, however; We call her ‘the Countess.’ She is a 1966 Streamline trailer that was fully renovated specifically to be our scoop shop.
How is the ice cream made from start to finish?
Our farmstead ice cream is from cow to cone in four short days. Farmstead is a term used most commonly in cheese making. A farmstead cheese is made on the farm with the milk from the cows that live there. Our ice cream is made on the farm with the milk and cream produced from our cows. Hence, Farmstead Ice cream!
Day 1: The day begins very early, as in 3 a.m. early. We milk the cows in these early morning hours and by 5 a.m. our creamery staff has arrived and gets to work pasteurizing and homogenizing the milk and cream. Creamery staff fill ten-gallon milk cans with pasteurized milk and cream to send to the bakery.
Day 2: The bakery staff take the milk and cream and heat it up in a forty-gallon steam kettle. While it’s heating they mix in sugar, corn syrup solids, eggs and a stabilizer. We try to use as few ingredients as possible without sacrificing quality and texture. Once the mix has been made it is transferred to three-gallon containers and rolled into our blast chiller. The chiller rapidly cools the mix down and allows it to age. Aging the mix ensures the protein, fat and water molecules are properly emulsified.
Day 3: We then take the ice cream mix and churn it into ice cream. Think of the mix as a blank canvas. We can add vanilla or strawberry, mint or cookie dough to the mix to create different flavors. Three gallons of mix plus flavorings go into the ice cream machine for fourteen minutes. What comes out is like soft serve in consistency. We pack it into containers and send it to the freezer for a deep freeze.
Day 4: It’s time to scoop and serve!
What types of flavors and other ice cream options will be sold?
We will have many flavors including our signature flavor compost cream, chocolate peanut butter brownie with brownies made right in the bakery, and our own cookie dough with the cookie dough that is used to bake chocolate chip cookies in the bakery, too. Customers can choose from cups, cones and waffle cones, sundaes, toppings and seasonal featured flavors. We will also offer special ‘dip cups’ which is a cup of toppings you can order on the side of your cone. Lick, dip, repeat!
The flavors that are available for the month of June are vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, coffee Oreo, black raspberry chocolate chip, cookie dough, compost cream, chocolate peanut butter brownie, mint chocolate chip, maple walnut, milk and cookies, unicorn which is vanilla-based, swirled with color, vanilla cake and a special sprinkle mix and lastly, strawberry sorbet which is a vegan option.
When is the trailer open?
The trailer is open Wednesday through Friday 3-9 p.m., Saturday noon-10 p.m. and Sunday noon-7 p.m. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Wright’s Dairy Farm and Bakery, 200 Woonsocket Hill Rd., North Smithfield, 767-3014, wrightsdairyfarm.com.
