Classic Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Classic Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Classic Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

When days are cooler, or downright cold, there is nothing better to warm the tummy than a bowl of comfort soup.  One of the soups I place in that category is homemade Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.  Full of flavour with a lovely velvety texture, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup has a rich natural golden-yellow color that can’t be beat!  This is a showstopper soup on both the taste and appetizing color fronts, the latter of which is drawn from the orange, fleshy pulp of the squash. Continue reading Classic Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Cranberry Blueberry Sauce

Combining the sweet and tart flavors of blueberries and cranberries makes for a delectable cranberry blueberry sauce.  Their flavors play well off of each other. Most will be familiar with the traditional cranberry sauce that, for many, has to be part of a roasted turkey or chicken dinner.  Click here for my recipe for classic cranberry sauce. Continue reading Cranberry Blueberry Sauce

Green Tomato Marmalade Recipe

Marmalade
Green Tomato Marmalade

Green Tomato Marmalade is not an altogether common variety of marmalade. It’s not the “garden” variety of typical marmalades likely to be found on many supermarket shelves, or at least not in my neck of the woods anyway.  That, in my view, makes Green Tomato Marmalade all the more special because it’s more unique and exclusive!

Marmalade
Green Tomato Marmalade

But, wait, in another sense, Green Tomato Marmalade is very much a “garden” variety of marmalade in that it is a great way to make use of the usual abundance of green tomatoes many gardeners end up with in their gardens in late summer or early fall and are wondering what they can do with them so they aren’t wasted.

Variations of green tomato jam and marmalade have been around for years.  I expect many homemakers of years ago made one or the other (either the jam or marmalade) because they would have likely had lots of tomatoes in the garden so it was an economical ingredient to use and to have as a spread for bread or biscuits over the winter.  Those homemakers were frugal and resourceful as there were no big supermarkets with a large selection of jams and marmalades we see today and, in some cases, families were large and did not have a lot of money. So, consequently, they figured out ways to feed their families economically, making good use of food they grew themselves.

Green Tomato Marmalade
Green Tomato Marmalade on Toast

Green Tomato Marmalade is one of those food items I would class as “don’t knock it till you’ve tried it”.  This marmalade is both sweet and savory, making it a versatile product to have on the pantry shelf.  Combining the green tomatoes with citrus flavours (orange and lemon) and some crushed pineapple for sweetness balance and texture, this marmalade is versatile and can be used just as one would use orange marmalade, for example – spread on toast, biscuits, and scones.  Green Tomato Marmalade can also be eaten as a savory condiment with cheese, charcuterie, and cracker boards.

Green Tomato Marmalade
Green Tomato Marmalade with Brie and Crackers

Almost any variety of medium/large tomatoes can be used for this marmalade. Tiny Tims variety or grape tomatoes, however, do not work well in this recipe because they are way too small to work with and are full of seeds.

Tomatoes
Green Tomatoes

My advice would be to try to find a variety that does not have a lot of seeds as the tomatoes will yield more tomato meat per pound for the marmalade and the tomatoes will be a lot easier to prepare.  This is because the seeds and the watery/gelatinous sack that are inside the tomatoes need to be removed for this marmalade.  Leaving them in will result in two things: 1) Too much water in the marmalade causing issues getting it to jell; and 2) tomatoes are tremendously seedy and all those seeds just simply do not look appetizing in the finished product and are a nightmare for anyone who cannot digest seeds well. The odd few seeds may make their way in to the marmalade and are not, generally, a problem for most but the intent is to remove as many seeds as possible from the tomatoes.

Green Tomatoes
Green Tomato Wedges

Cut each tomato in half, then each half into several wedges.  Scoop, or cut, out and discard the watery gelatinous sack and its seeds.

Green Tomatoes
Preparing Tomatoes for Green Tomato Marmalade

Cut up the remaining tomato pieces into small, bite-sized chunks.  These don’t need to be minced, by any means, but they need to be small enough to get cooked properly and to look appealing when spread on toast or biscuits.

Chopped Green Tomatoes
Chopped Green Tomatoes for Marmalade

The addition of lemon and orange (and their zests) is what, in my opinion, makes this a marmalade as marmalades traditionally contain citrus fruit.  This recipe calls for a small amount of crushed pineapple.  This adds an element of sweetness, flavour, and texture.  There is no need to drain the pineapple in a sieve or colander but, instead, use a slotted spoon to scoop the pineapple out of the can and let some of the juice drip off for a few seconds before measuring the pineapple.  There will still be juice in the pineapple and up to a couple of tablespoons of juice will be fine.  Any more and, like the watery part of tomatoes, it would add too much liquid to the marmalade content, potentially causing issues getting it to jell. Adding a small piece of cinnamon stick injects a subtle hint of cinnamon to the marmalade. However, it is not recommended to leave the cinnamon stick in the marmalade for the entire cooking process because it can result in too intense and excessive cinnamon flavour which is not the intent with this marmalade.

Marmalade
Green Tomato Marmalade

Care must be taken to ensure the marmalade does not scorch as it slowly cooks.  With the sugar content, scorching is always a risk.  Once a jam or marmalade has scorched, there is no fixing it and it’s a batch destined for the green compost cart.  Stirring the marmalade fairly regularly as it cooks will help it to thicken and prevent scorching (as will keeping it at a low boil and using a heavy bottomed stock pot).  It’s all about heat control. If desired, a few cut up red maraschino cherries can be added for color at the end of the cooking process.

Patience is required to make marmalade – it takes time for it to set, which can be upwards of two hours.  Getting the marmalade at the right jelling stage is the key part of marmalade making.  Temperatures for finished marmalade can range from 217°F to 222°F  and the temperature at which the marmalade is taken off the stove will determine how runny or thick it is. Undercooking the marmalade will result in a very runny product while overcooking it will make it too thick and sticky to spread on anything and it will become very dark in color.  I boil my marmalade slowly until it reaches a sustained temperature of 220°F on the candy thermometer. I find, at that stage, it has a lovely thick, yet still spreadable consistency. Marmalade is meant to be thicker than jam but still needs to be spreadable.

Marmalade
Green Tomato Marmalade

I could not get along without my candy/food thermometer for accurately checking food temperature.  If, however, you do not have a candy thermometer, a “wrinkle” test of the marmalade on a cold saucer can also be used to test the marmalade for doneness (see notes at the end of the recipe below for how to conduct this test).

Half-pint bottles, like those shown in the photo at the beginning of this posting, are perfectly sized for marmalade. The bottles must be washed in hot, soapy water and rinsed thoroughly before being sterilized in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Fill the sterilized jars with the marmalade to within ¼“ of the jar rim.  Seal with the heated lids secured with the bands that came with the jars.  Process the half-pint bottles in a hot water bath for 10 minutes to give them shelf stability for several months – if the Green Tomato Marmalade lasts that long! (Note the marmalade in the tiny jelly jars in the photos below have been transferred, for cracker board presentation purposes, from the half-pint bottles in which they were bottled and processed in the hot water bath – they were not processed in these jelly jars which I have not tested in a hot water bath process.)

Marmalade
Green Tomato Marmalade

The lemons, orange, and crushed pineapple turn the bright green tomatoes into a superb marmalade of glorious golden amber color. Don’t expect this marmalade to taste like tomatoes as might be expected.  Rather, it has a surprisingly sweet and savory blend of flavours that make it a tasty and luxurious marmalade for which a multitude of creative uses can be found.

Give it a try!

Green Tomato Marmalade

Ingredients:

4 lbs green tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced or cut into small chunks (should equal apx. 9½ – 10 cups cut up)
2½ lbs granulated sugar
1½ lemons, chopped + zest
1 orange, chopped + zest
10 oz crushed pineapple with some of its juice
2” piece of cinnamon stick
4 oz maraschino cherries, chopped (optional)

Method:

Wash tomatoes.  Cut into sections and remove the stem end, core, seeds, and the watery/gelatinous sack around the seeds.  Dice, or cut the tomato pieces into small chunks. Place in large bowl and add the sugar.  Let stand for three hours to draw the juice from the tomatoes and allow the sugar to dissolve.  Stir two to three times.

Wash the lemons and orange well.  Zest the lemons and oranges.  Remove any seeds and cut lemons and orange into small pieces.

Transfer tomato–sugar mixture and the liquid to a medium-sized stock pot. Add the chopped lemons and orange and the zest, along with the crushed pineapple.  Add the piece of cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium high temperature, stirring to prevent scorching.  Immediately lower the temperature and cook, uncovered, at a slow gentle boil until mixture reads 220°F, sustained, on a candy thermometer*.  Stir mixture regularly to prevent scorching. Be patient, this can take upwards of 2 hours. Remove the cinnamon stick after about an hour.  When marmalade has reached its temperature, remove from heat and stir in the maraschino cherries, if using.

While the marmalade is cooking, fill a large pot of water, about ¾ full.  Place 6 half-pint jars, upright, into the water.  Ensure the jars are fully submerged, are each filled with water, and that the water is at least an inch over the tops of the jars.  Cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave the jars in the hot water while the marmalade finishes cooking.

Meanwhile, fill the canner about one-third to one-half full of water. Cover and bring to a boil to have it ready for the filled jars.

When the marmalade is cooked, use a jar lifter to remove the hot jars from the water.  Using a canning funnel, pour marmalade into sterilized jars, leaving about ¼” headroom in each jar.  Wipe the jar rims with a clean cloth. Seal jars with heated lids and fingertip-tightened ring bands.

Place jars in hot water bath wire basket, ensuring jars do not touch each other or fall over. Carefully lower basket into canner of hot water. Ensure the water level is at least 1” above the tops of jars, adding more boiling water as necessary. Cover with canner lid. Increase the heat to return the water to a rolling boil then decrease the heat to just keep the water at a rolling boil but not boiling over. Process half-pint jars in the hot water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting time for altitude. Start timing the processing from the point where a full rolling boil is reached after basket of jars has been added to the canner. At the end of the processing time, turn off heat and remove canner lid. Using a jar lifter, carefully remove the jars, one at a time, and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Listen for the “pop” or “ping” sound as the bottles seal over the next few minutes or hours. The lids of properly sealed jars will curve downward.  Let jars rest, undisturbed, on wire rack for 12 hours. Store in cool, dark place. Refrigerate marmalade once opened.

Yield:  Apx. 6 half-pint bottles

*If you don’t have a candy thermometer, place 2-3 freezer-safe saucers in freezer. To test for doneness, place a small amount of marmalade on chilled saucer and swirl saucer around. Let marmalade sit, untouched, for about a minute, then gently push your finger through the marmalade.  If the marmalade holds its shape (i.e., does not immediately run back together after the finger has been removed from the marmalade), it is set and ready to bottle.  If not, continue to cook mixture, repeating the “chill” test about every 3 minutes or so (always removing the pot from the heat while conducting the chill test) until the marmalade passes the “chill” test.  Do not overcook as it will result in a very thick marmalade, dark in color.

Green Tomato Marmalade

Lemons, orange, and crushed pineapple turn green tomatoes into a glorious golden amber-colored sweet and savory spread for toast, biscuits, scones, or crackers.
Cuisine American
My Island Bistro Kitchen My Island Bistro Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs green tomatoes cored, seeded, and diced or cut into small chunks (should equal apx. 9½ - 10 cups cut up)
  • lbs granulated sugar
  • lemons chopped + zest
  • 1 orange chopped + zest
  • 10 oz crushed pineapple with some of its juice
  • 2 ” piece of cinnamon stick
  • 4 oz maraschino cherries chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash tomatoes. Cut into sections and remove the stem end, core, seeds, and the watery/gelatinous sack around the seeds. Dice, or cut the tomato pieces into small chunks. Place in large bowl and add the sugar. Let stand for three hours to draw the juice from the tomatoes and allow the sugar to dissolve. Stir two to three times.
  2. Wash the lemons and orange well. Zest the lemons and oranges. Remove any seeds and cut lemons and orange into small pieces.
  3. Transfer tomato–sugar mixture and the liquid to a medium-sized stock pot. Add the chopped lemons and orange and the zest, along with the crushed pineapple. Add the piece of cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium high temperature, stirring to prevent scorching. Immediately lower the temperature and cook, uncovered, at a slow gentle boil until mixture reads 220°F, sustained, on a candy thermometer*. Stir mixture regularly to prevent scorching. Be patient, this can take upwards of 2 hours. Remove the cinnamon stick after about an hour. When marmalade has reached its temperature, remove from heat and stir in the maraschino cherries, if using.
  4. While the marmalade is cooking, fill a large pot of water, about ¾ full. Place 6 half-pint jars, upright, into the water. Ensure the jars are fully submerged, are each filled with water, and that the water is at least an inch over the tops of the jars. Cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave the jars in the hot water while the marmalade finishes cooking.

  5. Meanwhile, fill the canner about one-third to one-half full of water. Cover and bring to a boil to have it ready for the filled jars.
  6. When the marmalade is cooked, use a jar lifter to remove the hot jars from the water. Using a canning funnel, pour marmalade into sterilized jars, leaving about ¼” headroom in each jar. Wipe the jar rims with a clean cloth. Seal jars with heated lids and fingertip-tightened ring bands.
  7. Place jars in hot water bath wire basket, ensuring jars do not touch each other or fall over. Carefully lower basket into canner of hot water. Ensure the water level is at least 1” above the tops of jars, adding more boiling water as necessary. Cover with canner lid. Increase the heat to return the water to a rolling boil then decrease the heat to just keep the water at a rolling boil but not boiling over. Process half-pint jars in the hot water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting time for altitude. Start timing the processing from the point where a full rolling boil is reached after basket of jars has been added to the canner. At the end of the processing time, turn off heat and remove canner lid. Using a jar lifter, carefully remove the jars, one at a time, and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Listen for the “pop” or “ping” sound as the bottles seal over the next few minutes or hours. The lids of properly sealed jars will curve downward.  Let jars rest, undisturbed, on wire rack for 12 hours. Store in cool, dark place. Refrigerate marmalade once opened.
  8. Yield: Apx. 6 half-pint bottles
  9. *If you don’t have a candy thermometer, place 2-3 freezer-safe saucers in freezer. To test for doneness, place a small amount of marmalade on chilled saucer and swirl saucer around. Let marmalade sit, untouched, for about a minute, then gently push your finger through the marmalade. If the marmalade holds its shape (i.e., does not immediately run back together after the finger has been removed from the marmalade), it is set and ready to bottle. If not, continue to cook mixture, repeating the “chill” test about every 3 minutes or so (always removing the pot from the heat while conducting the chill test) until the marmalade passes the “chill” test. Do not overcook as it will result in a very thick marmalade, dark in color.

Recipe Notes

After marmalade has completely cooled, if there are any jars on which the lids have not curved downward, refrigerate those jars and use the marmalade within a month.

For more great jam, jelly, and maramalade recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the links below:

Peach Marmalade
Rhubarb Marmalade
Crabapple Jelly
Blueberry and Grand Marnier Jam
Gooseberry Jam
Zucchini Jam
Pumpkin Jam 

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Marmalade
Green Tomato Marmalade

Breakfast Picnic on the Beach

Picnic
Breakfast on the Beach

When we think of picnics, we most often think of lunch time or dinner events. Rarely, do we think of a breakfast picnic and yet it’s probably one of the easiest picnic meals to pack!

Breakfast Picnic on the Beach
Breakfast Picnic on the Beach

Recently, I suggested we pack up a continental breakfast and head to the beach for a morning picnic.  We had just been to a nearby blueberry U-pick so, naturally, blueberries were included in the picnic.

Blueberries
High Bush Blueberries

The menu was simple.  Orange juice, Greek yogurt topped with homemade granola and fresh blueberries, homemade muffins, peaches, and coffee.

Breakfast Picnic
Breakfast Picnic Fare

I love these little multi-purpose jelly jars.  They are perfect for yogurt parfaits!

Yogurt Parfaits
Yogurt Breakfast Parfaits

A breadboard makes an easily transportable platform upon which to set the food. I find, with beach picnics and an uneven sand base, it can be a bit of a challenge to keep the food from tipping over and spilling. However, the breadboard provides a stable, level surface eliminating the problem.

Breakfast Picnic
Continental Breakfast at the Beach

All that needs to be added is the quintessential coffee!  I have a small thermos/coffee butler that holds exactly two cups of coffee and is great for these types of events.

Breakfast Picnic
Breakfast Picnic at the Beach

I love my wicker picnic baskets and this one came equipped with the plates, mugs, and cutlery.

Picnic Basket
Wicker Picnic Basket

Let’s take a peek inside the picnic basket!

Breakfast Picnic
Breakfast in a Basket

A good book for one and the morning newspaper for the other found their way to the picnic, too! No need to take along lawn chairs – an old blanket and a couple of comfy pillows will suffice.

Breakfast on the Beach
Breakfast is Read!

Our summers are short here in Prince Edward Island so we make the most of the lovely fine days and our close proximity to the beach. What better way to savour the last days of summer than to pack a breakfast picnic and head to the beach to enjoy breakfast with a view like this! Self-imposed time-outs can be a good thing!

Beach
PEI Beach

 

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Chill Out with Great Ice Cream in PEI

Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

It’s hard to think of summer without thinking of ice cream.  Those hot, sultry summer days just seem to beg for an ice cream fix.

Here, on PEI, we have no shortage of ice cream venues to choose from.  Whether you are a soft-serve ice cream fan or a hard ice cream aficionado, you’ll find lots to choose from.  After a summer of research (full disclosure – the waistline may have been harmed by this initiative!), here’s the scoop on my favorite places on the Island for hard ice cream and for soft-serve ice cream. Readers will note that opinions expressed are my own based on personal experience at all venues mentioned below.  None of the establishments knew I was sampling their products for this review. This is not a sponsored post and I received no compensation in any form for my reviews.

My review is broken down into two parts – hard ice cream and soft-serve ice cream. Readers will note that I was not reviewing every product sold by dairy bars and ice cream parlours. Rather I was reviewing two very specific products – hard ice cream and soft-serve ice cream. This to say that, for example, a dairy bar that specializes in, or is most known for, its soft-serve ice cream, may also serve other frozen products such as hard ice cream, too. In that example, if I was reviewing their soft-serve product, that’s all I was reviewing from that particular dairy bar.  Likewise, if a business is known primarily for its hard ice cream but also sells, for example, frozen yogurt or sherbet, I only reviewed their hard ice cream product(s). Of those I sampled in 2018, what follows were my top favorites.

For Best Hard Ice Cream

Two locations that specialize in the production of the traditional hard ice cream stood out for me:

COWS Inc.

Creamery Location: 12 Milky Way (397 Capital Drive), Charlottetown, PEI
(11 Canadian locations + 1 in Beijing, China)

COWS Creamery, PEI
COWS Creamery, PEI

Churning out delectable flavours since 1983, the flagship creamery is located on the aptly-named “Milky Way” just off of one of the famous roundabouts outside Charlottetown.  This venue is open year-round so locals do not have to go through withdrawal due to seasonal closures (phew!).  Other COWS locations, however, may be seasonal.

The Truck That Says It All!
The Truck That Says It All!

Apart from the high-quality ice cream (yup, 16% butter fat), COWS is legendary for its creative and unique ice cream flavour names often involving a play on words related to anything “cow” – like Cownadian Maple, Fluff ‘n Udder, Messie Bessie, and Moo Crunch, for example.

COWS Ice Cream Flavours
COWS Ice Cream Flavours

When I visit a COWS location, I go in with the best intentions to try a new flavour but, once I’m standing in front of the display case, I inevitably choose “Wowie Cowie”, a delectable concoction of vanilla ice cream, English toffee marble, chocolate flakes, and Moo Crunch.  Ice cream is available in dishes or cones but their handmade waffle cones are hard to pass up! In my view, the cones are part of the “udderly” wonderful COWS ice cream experience!

COWS' Wowie Cowie Ice Cream
COWS’ Wowie Cowie Ice Cream

There is no indoor seating at this COWS location though there are some nearby picnic tables outside.  Some COWS locations may have indoor seating available. Tours of the creamery at this location are also available.

Scooping COWS Ice Cream
Scooping COWS Ice Cream

One of the things that makes COWS ice cream extra special is that it is available exclusively at COWS stores so heading to a COWS outlet just makes the experience that much extra special because you know you can’t buy it at the local supermarket.  You can check out the story I earlier wrote on COWS here.

Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour

286 Fitzroy Street, Summerside, PEI

Holman's Ice Cream Parlour, Summerside, PEI
Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour, Summerside, PEI

The newbies on the Island ice cream scene, this family-owned and operated ice cream parlour opened its doors in 2016 and is quickly earning a reputation for high quality homemade ice cream.

Located in a heritage home, known as the Holman Homestead, in Summerside, this ice cream parlour has fast become a favorite stop for ice cream aficionados.  Much of the charm of the historical property has been maintained and gives an air of stepping back in time to a vintage ice cream parlour.

Holman's Ice Cream Parlour, Summerside, PEI
Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour, Summerside, PEI

The premium homemade hard ice cream, manufactured on the premises, is made with all-natural ingredients.  Several flavours of ice cream are available – my favorite is the Salted Caramel though I have heard rave reviews of their Cookies and Cream variety.

Ice Cream
“Salted Caramel” Ice Cream – Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour, Summerside, PEI

Ice cream is available in cones or dishes but, as you walk up the sidewalk toward the house, you can catch the tantalizing waft of the waffle cones being made – it’s hard not have one of those cones and they don’t disappoint!

At Holman's Ice Cream Parlour, Summerside, PEI
At Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour, Summerside, PEI

The parlour also offers sundaes, banana splits, and soda fountain floats made with their homemade ice cream.

Ice Cream Sundae at Holman's Ice Cream Parlour, Summerside, PEI
Ice Cream Sundae at Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour, Summerside, PEI

They also make sherbets and have at least one variety of ice cream made with sheep’s milk.  Service is provided by friendly staff.  Eat inside or, on lovely weather days, enjoy the ice cream in the garden.  The ice cream from Holman’s is made all the more special because it is only available at their Ice Cream Parlour and you won’t find it in the frozen dairy section of any supermarket.  Open seasonally.  (Hint – In my view, it’s worth the drive to Summerside just to have an ice cream at Holman’s!  Just sayin’, this might have happened on more than one occasion….for research purposes, of course, you know….just sayin’…..)

For Best Soft-Serve Ice Cream

Two locations that are known primarily for their soft-serve ice cream particularly caught my attention.

Sunny’s Dairy Bar – New Discovery 2018

559 Water Street, Summerside, PEI

Ice Cream Dairy Bar
Sunny’s Dairy Bar, Summerside, PEI

This dairy bar came recommended to me by a couple of folks who thought I should check it out.  Can soft-serve ice cream really be all that different from one place to another? Yes, it can and Sunny’s proves it!

Opened in 2011, in the west end of Summerside, this is a traditional style dairy bar in that you place your order at the window and take your ice cream back to your vehicle or to the Green Shore Park across the street.  There is no indoor seating.

This dairy bar was a new discovery for me this year and I will be back!  I opted for a Hot Fudge Sundae, my all-time favorite. The ice cream was the creamiest and richest I have ever had and the hot fudge topping was, well …. sublime!

Hot Fudge Sundae at Sunny's Dairy Bar, Summerside, PEI
Hot Fudge Sundae at Sunny’s Dairy Bar, Summerside, PEI

Sunny’s has a long list of ice cream treats on its menu, too numerous to mention here.  Portion sizes are very generous.  I ordered a small sundae and, as can be seen in the photo, it is a very generous helping! Open seasonally, this is definitely a place to check out for ice cream in Summerside!

Frosty Treat Dairy Bar

Two (2) locations – Original at 109 Victoria Street West and new one in 2018 at 25010 Veteran’s Memorial Highway, both in Kensington, PEI

Frosty Treat Dairy Bar #1 in Kensington, PEI
Frosty Treat Dairy Bar #1 in Kensington, PEI

A long-time favorite with Islanders, this traditional-style dairy bar is well known for its catchy TV ads “Don’t Drive By! Drive In!” For many Islanders, it will come as no surprise as to why Frosty Treat made my list of “go-to” places for yummy ice cream in PEI.  Frosty Treat has been synonymous with great soft-serve ice cream for many years and the frequent line-ups at the dairy bar window on hot summer days and evenings attest to this.

This popular ice cream bar serves up creamy soft-serve ice cream that will satisfy any craving for soft swirly ice cream.  Other ice cream treats are also available on Frosty’s menu.

Frosty Treat has been a summer tradition for us for many years.  Their Hot Fudge Sundae, in particular, is a perennial favorite. Open seasonally.

Hot Fudge Sundae from Frosty Treat Dairy Bar, Kensington, PEI
Hot Fudge Sundae from Frosty Treat Dairy Bar, Kensington, PEI

If you are in the Kensington area, “don’t drive by, drive in” to one of the Frosty Treat locations for a cool ice cream treat.

Frosty Treat #2 Location in Kensington, PEI
Frosty Treat #2 Location in Kensington, PEI

Special Mention

Somerset Ice Cream Bar – New Discovery 2018

2 Somerset Street, Kinkora, PEI

Somerset Dairy Bar, Kinkora, PEI
Somerset Dairy Bar, Kinkora, PEI

Located in the small rural village of Kinkora, midway between Charlottetown and Summerside, the Somerset Ice Cream Bar opened for business in summer 2018.  What makes this ice cream bar unique, and what earned it a special mention in this article, is that its owner and operator is a young entrepreneur, still in high school (yes, you read that right)!

Soft-serve Ice Cream
Ice Cream from Somerset Dairy Bar, Kinkora, PEI

Many cones of generous-sized portions of creamy swirled soft-serve ice cream were served out of this new dairy bar this past summer.  In traditional dairy bar style, orders are placed at the window.  There is no indoor seating but there are benches on the deck around the dairy bar and limited picnic table seating. Open seasonally.

If you are traveling Rte 225 between Summerside and Charlottetown, make it a plan to stop for a tasty treat at this ice cream bar.

So, this is what the waistline could handle this summer!  Again readers will note that some of these establishments also serve other types of ice cream and ice cream related treats.  However, the purpose of my exercise this summer was to simply find great establishments that specialized in, or were best known for, either hard ice cream or soft-serve ice cream.  Others may have differing opinions on my choices but, based on my personal experience on the days I visited the venues, I had great ice cream and service at each of these five (5) venues this year.  In my view, you can’t go wrong with an ice cream treat from any of these five (5) venues. All establishments have active social media accounts (and some have websites) that you can check out for more information and hours and season of operation.

Strawberry Rhubarb Ripple Ice Cream

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