Photo: WBZ NewsRadio \ Emma Friedman
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — It's that time of year again when the sun is out, the birds are chirping, and rose ice cream makes its way back to one Cambridge ice cream shop.
WBZ's Emma Friedman went to Inman Square to give it a try before it's too late.
Christina's Homemade Ice Cream is out with its seasonal rose ice cream. The Cambridge ice cream shop has been putting out the flavor at the start of summer for the last 15 years.
Raymond Ford, owner of Christina's Homemade Ice Cream, said he doesn't expect the exclusive flavor to last long.
Since the ice cream is expensive to make, it isn't a profitable flavor to keep year-round, but Ray said since it is one of his favorites it's worth making it for a few weeks each year when the roses start to bloom.
"There's a lot of work involved in picking rose petals so they're very expensive, but it's the absolute best ice cream, it's my favorite ice cream, it's my daughter's favorite ice cream, it's my dog's favorite ice cream," Ray told WBZ's Emma Friedman.
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Ray buys dozens of pounds of fresh rose petals from Eva's Garden, an organic farm in Westport, Massachusetts each year. He then lets the petals steep with milk, cream, and sugar for several days to get as much flavor out as possible.
"We made last weekend probably 30 to 40 gallons and we have another 10 pounds of rose petals coming and we'll do the same and that will probably be it then because you know we have to make some money too it can't just be making our favorite ice cream," Ray said.
Ray also owns Christina's Spice & Specialty Foods down the street and likes to incorporate spices from around the world into his ice cream.
In the past, he has made fresh sassafras root ice cream, fresh chili ice cream, and lemon pomegranate sorbet.
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