Why is there no grape-flavored ice-cream?

Have you ever tried grape-flavored ice-cream? Have you ever seen it?

There are numerous theories as to why this kind of ice-cream doesn't exist. According to one of them, grapes can't be frozen, whereas another one says that they pose a risk for dogs in case they accidentally eat them.

The truth, however, lies elsewhere. Grapes contain large amounts of water, which is why you risk ending up with chunks of ice in your ice-cream if you freeze them. At the same time, if prepared at home, grapes can be ground to the consistency of a puree, which is unfeasible in large-scale commercial production, writes Thrillist.

Since people are not used to the taste, the attempt at producing the ice-cream would be very risky due to the lack of demand.

An urban legend circles the web about an attempt by the famous ice-cream maker Robert Green to make the first grape-flavored ice-cream back in 1876, which failed due to the presence of anthocyanin in the fruit, a molecule which prevents freezing. After a century of failed attempts, Ben of Ben & Jerry's ventured upon this impossible mission to win over his business partner's sister Becky. Not knowing what to do exactly, Ben started adding grape skin to the ice-cream mass, which increased the levels of anthocyanin and caused the formation of a chilly cream even tastier than regular ice-cream. He immediately brought his new creation to Becky, who was absolutely delighted. Once she offered the treat to her dog, however, she and Ben watched in shock as he collapsed and died in a matter of seconds. They learned afterwards that grapes are highly toxic to dogs.

Still, this is only a legend.

The truth is that grapes are toxic to dogs, but not to the extent that would cause an animal to die immediately and certainly not enough to cause a ban on the production, as chocolate, avocado and raisins might be banned on the same grounds.

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grape flavored ice cream

ice cream production

grapes

anthocyanin

Robert Green

Ben & Jerrys