“Historically Speaking”

May 2, 2008

When John Higgins moved to Exeter in the late 1890’s, he intended to open a fish market.  The fish sold well, and perhaps because the business required so much ice he branched into the ice cream business.  Within a few short years, his “celebrated ice cream” outsold his fish and Higgins Ice Cream became a fixture in Exeter.

Ice cream wasn’t new to Exeter with the arrival of J.G. Higgins.  People had been making ice cream for decades.  American love of ice cream is legendary. Jane Walmsley, author of  Brit-Think, Ameri-Think, summed up American culture in terms of ice cream: “Americans, for all their affluence and the distractions it can bring, know what really counts.  ICE CREAM.  More than allegiance to the flag, or a national newspaper, or Jay Leno, or the microchip, it’s mocha-chip that binds the nation together.  Fail to appreciate this, and you’ve missed out on the quintessence of Ameri-culture.” 

In the early nineteenth century ice cream was made at home.  The cream mixture would be placed in a pot which, in turn, was placed in a bucket of ice and salt.  Stirred only occasionally, it wouldn’t have had the same creamy feel of modern ice cream because there wasn’t much air mixed in.  In 1843, Nancy Johnson patented the first hand-cranked ice cream machine.  Although tedious to use by our standards, it was quicker than the pot method and produced a smoother texture.   New England, with its abundance of ice houses and easy access to dairy products, was smitten.

When The Exeter Cookbook was published in 1889 by the Ladies of the First Baptist Church, it included 11 recipes for ice cream.  The mania for flavors is evident as one pages through the old standards of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and comes upon such unique concoctions as “banana and pineapple”, “currant” and the very New Englandy, “brown bread”.  The Boston Herald Cook Book, published in 1926, included recipes for “rich maple”, “almond”, “orange” and even “prune”.  Once past the ick factor of prunes as a flavoring for ice cream, keep in mind that they are simply dried plums and plum ice cream sounds pretty darn tasty.

Higgins set up his shop on Center Street at the old Granite House hotel at just the right moment in history for mass-produced ice cream.  The tiresome stirring was achieved with a horse mill.  Higgins son, Alfred, took over the business in 1912 after his father’s death.  His advertisements boasted that the product had been “analyzed by chemist at Durham College and 18% butter fat found”.  Today the U.S. standard for ice cream is a minimum of 10% butter fat and premium blends can be as high as 16%.   Alfred Higgins expanded the business to include wholesale and retail and tapped into the Hampton Beach market.  The advertisements also stated “Large or small quantities delivered at short notice, in or out of town.”  This might bring to mind a late night ice cream craving, but in the days before adequate refrigeration, the ice cream had to arrive just before the birthday cake was cut and not an hour in advance or it would be drinkable. 

By 1917, Higgins had competition in town.  There are three ice cream manufacturers listed in the town directory for that year.  He sold the business to John Lary and Lyman Collishaw in 1919.  Electric refrigeration changed the industry in the 1920s and Higgins Ice Cream moved to a new location on Portsmouth Avenue in 1925. 

Although manufacturing of the ice cream moved out of the downtown, the Higgins Ice Cream Parlour was still located on Water Street for years.  Today, with no ice cream parlors in the downtown, there are still those who well remember “Higgins Celebrated Ice Cream”.

From The Exeter Cook Book, 1889,
published by The Ladies of the First Baptist Church:

“To freeze ice cream successfully, it is necessary to pack it closely with fine ice and fine rock salt equal quantities thoroughly mixed.  If you do not use a self-beating ice cream freezer, stir briskly while freezing.”

Ice Cream

One quart of cream, one pint of milk, one cup of sugar; flavor to taste.  Beat the cream to a froth, stir in the milk and sugar thoroughly and freeze.  –Miss Gertrude L. Copeland.

Bananna and Pineapple

To your ice cream preparation add banannas  [sic] cut in thin slices or the juice and fruit of pineapple (cut fine.)  The juice of raspberries also makes a delicious cream.

Pistachio Cream

To a vanilla cream, add just before freezing, pistachio nuts blanched and pounded in a mortar to a smooth paste.  A delicate green tint is produced by bruising spinach leaves, adding a few drops of water and straining into the cream.  –Miss Emma Wiggin.

Tutti Fruitti

When the cream is nearly frozen, add candied fruits, cherries, raisins, citron, orange and lemon peel, peaches and pears.  –Miss E. A. Wiggin.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Freeze three pints of cream with a cupful and a half of sugar, remove the beater and into the opening put three pints strawberries mixed with one cup of sugar.  Cover with the frozen cream and set away for one hour before serving.

Brown Bread Ice Cream

Use the preceding receipt and add one pint of sifted brown bread crumbs and freeze.

Coffee Ice Cream

One-half pint very strong coffee, strained through flannel, three and one-half pints of cream, one and one-third cups powdered sugar; one-half pint milk may be used if cream is scarce.  –Mrs. Chas. H. Bell.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Take one quart and a half of rich mile, add two small squares of Baker’s chocolate and a heaping tea-spoonful of gelatine.  Heat over steam until the chocolate is thoroughly dissolved, then add two cups of sugar; cool and add one quart of sweet cream; freeze.  This will make one gallon.  –Miss E. A. Wiggin.

Currant Sherbert

Two and one-half pints of strained currant juice, one and one-half pints of sugar, one pint of water.  Stir together, color with a few drops of cochineal preparation and freeze.  –Miss E. A. Wiggin.

Bananna Ice Cream

One can of condensed milk, one quart of milk, three large banannas.  The condensed milk requires no sugar.  This is very nice.  –Mrs. Edbridge Goodwin.

From the Boston Herald – Traveler’s Better Homes Recipe Book, 1926:

Prune Ice Cream

• 1 pint prunes.
• ¼ cup lemon juice.
• 3 cups water.
• ¼ cup orange juice.
• 1 cup sugar.
• 1 pint cream.

Wash prunes, pour over three cups water, let stand overnight.  Place in saucepan, cook gently until soft; remove stones and put through strainer.  Add sugar, lemon and orange juice and the grated rind of half a lemon and an orange.  Add a few grains of salt and lastly the cream.  Freeze.