The Inside Scoop

A History of Ice Cream that Started in Ballston Spa

Story and photos by Sandi Fairbanks

Driving up the Northway, the signs for gas stations become scarce, but the ones that do appear show the familiar maroon and white Stewart's Shops logo. These are welcoming signs for anyone who needs a quick bite to eat, to get gas, or for someone who wants some old-fashioned ice cream.

"People would line up out the door for their make your own sundaes."

Brothers, Percy and Charles Dake, started making Dake's Delicious Ice Cream on their Greenfield farm in 1921. A little over twenty years later, the Dake family had established themselves owning the Saratoga Dairy and the " Big Barn" in Greenfield, where farmers would send their milk from all over the New England region. It was one of the few places for farmers to send their milk to be made into other dairy products. After establishing themselves in the dairy business, Stewart's Ice Cream would soon be underway.

The Dake's had purchased a dairy, ice cream freezer, hardening room, and shop from Donald Stewart of Ballston Spa, New York. Charles S. Dake, the son of Charles, had been discharged from the Army at the same time this happened, and he took the ice cream side of the business under his wing. He wanted to make the ice cream and sell it in the shop his family had purchased. With this, the first Stewart’s Shop opened in Ballston Spa. There are now over 300 shops in New York and Vermont.

"I can remember when Stewart's only had ice cream," Larry Soroka, a long-time customer, recalls. "People would line up out the door for their make your own sundaes."

Stewart's introduced the "Make Your Own Sundae" in 1948. The wife of Charles Dake, Phyllis, came up with the idea of letting customers customize their ice cream with a variety of different toppings that Stewart's had on their Dip counter.

"The ideas of the different flavors come from a variety of places. An idea maybe from a suggestion of a customer, an ingredient supplier or from an employee within the Stewart’s Company."

The Dip counter is where the ice cream is served to customers. A medium-sized maroon counter with a tray full of different toppings, spoons, and straws of different sizes, and big ice cream freezers that contain flavors for anyone's taste. Here you can get ice cream year round and in almost any form you would like.

The sign above the counter lists flavors, some named after the North Country theme: Adirondack Bear Paw, Crumbs Along the Mohawk, Kaydeross Kreme Light, and Mint Marcy; there is also the classic vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate flavors, and about thirty-three other flavors to choose from. The names of flavors come from suggestions by employees.

"The ideas of the different flavors come from a variety of places. An idea maybe from a suggestion of a customer, an ingredient supplier or from an employee within the Stewart's Company," Michael Yakush, production manager, says. "In the Stewart's head quarters is an in-house lab where they create new favors all the time. Once a flavor has been finished, personnel come in to decided whether the product has the potential for an ice cream flavor. If they decide it is acceptable, we release it as a rotational dip favor at all Stewart's Dip counters."

The process of making the ice cream is an interesting one and Yakush explains the steps:

It begins when the ice cream department receives fresh cream and milk from their own dairy operation. The mix operators are in charge of making the cream and milk into ice cream. There are six different types of mixes that Stewart's uses: white, chocolate, white "light," chocolate "light," sherbet, and frozen yogurt.

The mixing begins at 10 p.m. when the mix operator transfers the milk and cream into a large processor that pasteurizes the mix. The mix operator will add the other ingredients to the milk and cream, which includes stabilizers, sugars, powders, and an emulsifier. The stabilizers prevent ice crystals from forming during storage.

In the tank, the mix is held and heated to proper pasteurization temperature for a period of time. After the holding time is completer, the pasteurized mix is homogenized to make it smoother so it can be whipped better. Once homogenization is complete, the mix is run through a cooling press where the temperature of the mix is brought down to 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the mix is cooled, it is transferred to one of seven holding tanks where it will age for twelve to twenty-four hours. This is done to allow the proteins to fully hydrate. Aging also improves the whipping quality and provides for body and texture.

The mix is then transferred to a flavoring tank after the aging process is complete. In the flavoring tank, colors and flavors are added.

From the flavoring tank, the mix is moved through a barrel freezer where the cooled mix comes out partially frozen. There are sharp blades in the barrel freezer that scrape the surface of the barrel and freeze a portion of the available water in the mix. Another item called dasher units are inside the barrel as well; these help whip and distribute air cells through out the mix. The mix that comes out of the freezer is around 21 degrees and very similar to soft ice cream.

When this is finished, the partially frozen ice cream then goes through more equipment which adds other ingredients: nuts, candy pieces, fruits, and cookie dough, and variegates, which are the ingredients that are swirled throughout the ice cream including fudge, fruits and syrups.

The finished flavored mix is then put into half gallon cartons, pints, or 3 gallon cartons and transferred to a hardening freezer.

The ice cream is then shipped to the Stewart's shops around the region; this is the only place that makes Stewart's ice cream.

What is your favorite Stewart’s Ice Cream Flavor?