Milkjam Creamery - Fresh Thyme

Fresh Thyme - Lemon Zest Ice Cream with Thyme

 

Today is the fourth and final January flavor from Milkjam Creamery in Minneapolis.  This flavor is called Fresh Thyme (instagram link here).  It is a lemon zest ice cream flavored with thyme.  I have never had thyme in ice cream before!  So, I am looking forward to this.

Thyme is an old-world aromatic evergreen herb known to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks.  It is the mint family Lamiaceae along with basil, oregano, marjoram, sage and rosemary (not parsley, though).  It is commonly used in cooking but the oil of thyme can also be used medicinally.  The dominant compound in this oil, thymol, is an antiseptic and is a common ingredient in many mouthwashes.

Enough talk about thyme, let's check out this ice cream!  Removing the lid, the lemon zest base is a light yellow with perhaps a tinge of greenish grey in it.  Digging in, the lemon zest base is delicious.  It is pleasantly lemony but not intensely so like a custard or a pie filling.  I think the effect of the zest.  As I have written before, lemon ice cream can be tricky to implement because lemon juice does not mix well with milk or cream.  Often, eggs are used to create lemon curd or lemon custard, but you can also use the zest of a lemon to deliver the flavor.  The thyme I notice in the flavor 'finish' -- the flavor you taste after you swallow.  It is not strong, but it's a slight bitter savory flavor that I taste at the end of every spoonful.

This is a very interesting flavor from Milkjam Creamery.  It is a very creative use of a non-standard ice cream ingredient.  The flavor is mostly lemon -- so do not be too frightened -- but with a bit of a twist at the end.  The instagram link above mentioned that this was originally made as a dessert for a local restaurant.  I can definitely see that.  A scoop or two would really hit the spot after a good meal.  Try it out if you like flavors with eclectic ingredients.