Ever since hearing about the Ohio-based creamery, Graeter’s, I’ve been on the lookout for some of their French pot process ice cream. Fortunately for me, my Publix had a few flavors in stock, including their signature Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip. According to their website, this particular pint is, “an absolute must-try for anyone new to Grater’s. We hand select triple-washed black raspberries from Oregon’s premier grower.” Although I’m not typically a fruit-based ice cream kind of guy, I’m looking to enjoy one, black raspberries are usually the ones I’m looking for. After watching the following video I was educated on exactly how the French pot process works and how even though it yields a smaller number of pints per batch, seems to be well worth the extra effort.
Here’s exactly how it works: “Our secret recipe of fresh cream and egg custard is gently swirled along the chilled sides of a slowly spinning French Pot Freezer. As the creamy blend thickens, a blade softly scrapes the sides of the pot, folding the ice cream into itself. Then we add the fresh ingredients to complete our unique flavors. The gentle folding process prevents air from whipping into our ice cream and accounts for the extremely dense and creamy consistency. Where a typical pint of ice cream can weigh as little as 8 ounces, a Graeter’s pint weighs nearly a full pound! Graeter’s ice cream is so rich and creamy that we have to pack every pint by hand."
Due to the fact that the overrun of this super-premium ice cream is kept to a minimum and the butterfat percentage is kept high, most of the flavors from Graeter’s are calorie dense when compared to the competition. Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip comes in a respectable 270 calories per serving, but that’s pretty high for an ice cream based around berries. Like many other small-scale operations, they seem to pride themselves on high quality ingredients and putting in the extra effort if it means a more palate-pleasing product. With the top removed, the first layer of this densely packed pint is bright purple in color and even shows off a few chocolate chips poking through the surface.
The black raspberry base is delightfully dense and doesn’t share any of the dreadful qualities of some other fruit-based ice creams from other creameries. You won’t find any icy, sorbet-like qualities in a pint of Graeter’s. The richness of the cream and sugar is counteracted by the fact that the black raspberries make this base really refreshing. Without a doubt, Graeter’s has produced one of the best fruit foundations available, but the best is still yet to come. Graeter’s writes that it uses chocolate from the oldest chocolate maker in the world, developed in 1875. I'm not sure if older is necessarily better, but it sure tastes like its produced by a seasoned professional.
As you can see from the video, these aren't your typical chocolate chips, but melted chocolate that's poured in incrementally during the production process. As a result, these chocolate chips range in stature from small specks all the way up to large lumps. The chunks aren't smooth, but raw and seemingly unprocessed. They taste more of dark chocolate than milk chocolate. I mean just take a look at these colossal chocolate chunks! If these things are chocolate chips, Graeter's should consider baking. Their cookies would probably be pretty good. I'm certainly glad that Graeter's decided to expand their operation and allow people across the country to enjoy their frozen treats. And I'm certainly glad I picked up this pint. If you find Graeter’s in your area, I suggest starting with their Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip.
Where I Found It: Publix Super Markets
Grade: A
