Putting the “Mint” in Merriment

44% of adult consumers find mint flavors and/or ingredients extremely appealing for the upcoming winter season.*

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and even some flavor trends extend well beyond it. Take, for instance, the popularity of peppermint, which has long been associated with, and often peaks during, the holiday season but is now becoming a perennially favorite flavor.

Compared to pumpkin spice, which kicks off autumn before Labor Day, but generally falls off once the New Year rolls around, peppermint has a lingering effect on consumer cravings.  According to the recent Flavor Consumer Trend Report by Chicago-based Technomic Inc., flavors previously linked to the holidays – namely, peppermint and cinnamon — are starting to stay on the menu in independent and fine dining chains.  In another recently-released study, Technomic found that the use of mint in non-alcoholic beverages jumped 30.4 percent and that the use of add-ins has risen 6.7 percent over the last two years.

The type and use of mint beverages has evolved with and through the seasons as well. In its Seasons Eatings Report for winter 2016, Technomic trend spotters project that in the run-up to the New Year and through the winter, specific mint flavor profiles like peppermint and spearmint will be in demand.

Already, the marketplace reflects the refresh, so to speak, of minty flavor profiles. An early glimpse at holiday beverage menus shows a move toward more festive green and minty drinks. Meanwhile, in the dessert and ice cream category, Mintel Group Ltd. reports that at least 16 new products featuring peppermint have been launched in the U.S. marketplace, including unique items like Cado Organic Mint Chocolate Chip Avocado Frozen Desserts as well as a new take on a classic, the Good Humor Girl Scouts Thin Mints Frozen Chocolate Mint Dessert Bar.

As operators meet their customers’ penchant for mint flavors, KPFG’s own trend spotters and product development experts have been ahead of the curve. The company’s new peppermint flavor packet is a relevant and easy addition to soft serve mixes, used during and beyond the holiday season. Simply blended with Frostline vanilla soft serve, the peppermint flavor packet allows operators to offer a mint variety of soft serve for a limited time.

With only weeks away, now is the time to add the refreshing taste of peppermint to your menu. Please visit Frostline’s website, www.frostlinefrozentreats.com, to find your nearest broker or fill out the contact form.

Whether for a candy cane-blended treat, a cone that evokes the spirit of the season or, later in the year, a refreshing alternative to everyday flavors, the addition of mint can lend some cheer to favorite cold desserts. ‘Tis the season – make that the year – to be jolly about mixing up menu offerings.

*Source: Season’s Eatings Report: Winter 2016, Technomic Inc.

Think Outside the Pie

Introducing Frostline® Pumpkin Spice Soft Serve

You know fall is approaching when pumpkin products start popping up everywhere. From Pumpkin Spice Lattes to Pumpkin Spice Pasta, it’s become one of the most popular flavors on the market between September and December.

It’s getting cooler too. Pumpkin-flavored products continue to gain popularity in every category. Data from Nielsen shows that total sales of pumpkin-flavored items in the U.S. are up almost 80% since 2011, to over $360 million in 2015. And this year, Forbes pegs the size of the pumpkin spice economy at more than $500 million. Not only are brands releasing more pumpkin flavored products, the sale season is getting longer.

Source

Frostline® pays close attention to foodservice industry trends. That’s why for a limited time only, we’re offering Pumpkin Spice Soft Serve Mix. Combining the rich, complex flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, it’s a fall favorite that’ll have customers beelining for your operation.

This product won’t be around for long, so get it while it lasts. For more information, visit our product catalog. Contact us for ordering information.

Family Fun on the 4th of July

The 4^th of July is a special day for U.S. families, and not just because it’s Independence Day. Offices close, and with school already out, parents and kids have the opportunity to spend quality time together. Outdoor barbecues are everywhere, most communities have parades, and fireworks can be seen far and wide. Independence Day is the family holiday of the summer. And when families celebrate, especially in the midst of warm weather, there’s usually soft serve involved.

Kids of all ages love soft serve and all the combinations: Dip! Sprinkles! Swirl! No matter what kind of operation you run, if kids know you sell soft serve, they’ll be begging their parents to stop in. And on a day like the 4^th of July, it’s the perfect treat for parents too. With Frostline®, they can even rest assured knowing their soft serve is free of lactose, cholesterol, and gluten. It’s a childhood favorite, with a better for you twist.

It’s easy to customize your soft serve for the holiday too. Melt white chocolate chips, dip waffle cones, and toss red, white and blue sprinkles on top. Or, offer a patriotic toppings bar kids can use to decorate their soft serve themselves. Raspberries, coconut and blueberries will do the trick, but options are as boundless as your imagination.

Source: Sweet Estelle

 

Source: Celebrations

This year, celebrate Independence Day soft serve style, and delight families all over your community. For more information about Frostline Soft Serve, visit our product catalog. Contact us for ordering information.

Celebrate America’s Most Delicious Holiday

Summer is heating up, and that means National Soft Serve Day (August 19^th) will be here before you know it. As the unofficial sponsor of the holiday, Frostline® wants to help you close out the summer with an epic celebration. It’s easier than you might think to bring the frozen fun to your soft serve operation, and there’s no better way to attract customers than with a party.

First, whether you’re already a Frostline customer or not, visit our website to learn how to order your complimentary Celebration Kit. All you have to do is contact us, and we’ll send you a kit – no strings attached – that will arrive at your doorstep in just a few business days.  Inside, you’ll find signage to hang up in your store and a step-by-step playbook on how to promote National Soft Serve Day.

Also on our website, you can download a set of unique images to use in your own social media to help bring customers to your store. In addition, you can learn more about our friends at PAICRA (People Against Ice Cream Related Accidents), whose sole mission is to bring awareness to the dangers of hard-packed ice cream. By serving soft serve, you’re making the safer choice and resting the wrists of your employees.

National Soft Serve Day is better with friends. So on August 19^th, join us in raising a cone to America’s most delicious holiday. Be sure to share your photos and videos with us on Facebook and Twitter, tagging us and #NationalSoftServeDay.

And since the party begins and ends with soft serve, be sure to stock up on your Frostline Soft Serve Mix now.

 

Chocolate: From Inaccessible to Everywhere

When most of us hear the word “chocolate,” we think of candy, cookies, and other mouthwatering sweets. Of course, everyone loves a decadent dessert. But did you know that for 90% of chocolate’s existence, it was neither sweet nor easily accessible? As a modern treat defying that past, Frostline® Chocolate Soft Serve Mix brings you the history of its famed flavor.

The ancient Mesoamericans discovered chocolate, probably around 1900 B.C. If you thought your cup of cocoa was a modern phenomenon, groups like the Olmec, Maya and Aztec had you beat 4,000 years ago. They drank chocolate as a bitter, frothy beverage. It might not sound as good as your classic hot chocolate, but its ingredients, which included chili peppers and other spices, were certainly “original.”

Even in its unsweetened state, ancient chocolate was so popular that its availability was limited to society’s most elite. This begs the question: if the Mesoamericans weren’t in it for the sugar, what was the appeal? Watch out romantics, because history tells us they found chocolate to be a mood enhancer and aphrodisiac. They may have been on to something 3,500 years before Valentine’s Day was even invented.

Due to its…interesting effects, people used to think chocolate had spiritual and mystical powers. They reserved it for rulers, warriors, priests and nobles at sacred ceremonies. In fact, the Spanish explorers who brought chocolate back to Europe only had the privilege of trying the stuff because the Aztec king mistook their leader for an incarnated deity.

Europeans sweetened chocolate with cane sugar and cinnamon in the 1500s, but one thing remained unchanged: it was still only available to the rich and royal. Thank goodness for the invention of the steam engine in the 1700s, which made mass production possible.

Today, the word “chocolate” has expanded to include a range of sweet and accessible treats, like Frostline Chocolate Soft Serve Mix. Unlike ancient chocolate, it’s refreshingly delicious, surprisingly affordable, and even available to customers with dietary restrictions. Frostline Vanilla Soft Serve Mix is also available for customers who prefer the classic cone.

5 Things You Don’t Know About Frozen Yogurt

February 6 is National Frozen Yogurt Day[1]. Let’s dig in spoon first and celebrate this ice-cold treat!

Frozen yogurt is eaten almost as much as ice cream nowadays[2], and it’s easy to see why. Served in an infinite number of flavors and styles, it’s a delicious, healthier alternative to ice cream.[3] But it wasn’t always seen so favorably. The health-conscious trend of the 1970s spurred the creation of frozen yogurt. It didn’t go over very well because many people did not like the taste. It finally gained widespread popularity in the 1980s, after recipes improved to create the frozen yogurt we know and love.[4]

Dying to know more? Here are 5 things you might not know about frozen yogurt:

1. Plain flavored yogurt has been around for more than 4,000 years; however, it wasn’t until the 1970s that anyone thought to freeze it.[5]

2. The key to frozen yogurt’s popularity is sugar. In the 80s, frozen yogurt franchises added sugar to balance the tart flavor, and it was a hit. By the 90s, frozen yogurt had a 10% share of the frozen dessert market.[6]

3. FroYo has become a very trendy treat, and unique flavor creations are constantly in the works. In 2015 the world’s first black frozen yogurt was released in a flavor called Black Sakura. The color is due to the addition of naturally activated charcoal, which is said to contain healthy antioxidants and can also help remove toxins from the body.[7]

4. As if you needed further convincing to enjoy this treat, frozen yogurt also contains protein, calcium, vitamins and potassium. These healthy qualities among others can help boost a person’s immune system, lower cholesterol, and aid the digestive system.[8]

5. Like traditional ice cream, frozen yogurt is now available in many different forms. In addition to traditional soft-serve styles, you can also find parlors that feature options like hand-scooped froyo, smoothies that blend froyo with fresh fruit and juice, as well as frozen yogurt filled cakes and pies.[9]

While frozen yogurt may have taken a while to gain traction, it can now be found in just about every style and flavor imaginable. Now go out and share your newfound frozen yogurt knowledge as you celebrate this sweet holiday.

If you’re looking for a delicious, fat-free frozen yogurt for your operation, Frostline® offers mixes in vanilla and chocolate. Contact us for more information or to place an order.

 

[1] http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-frozen-yogurt-day

[2] http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-frozen-yogurt-day

[3] http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-frozen-yogurt-day

[4] http://www.spacemanusa.com/more-fun-facts-about-frozen-yogurt/

[5] http://www.spacemanusa.com/more-fun-facts-about-frozen-yogurt/

[6] http://thefuzzypeach.com/self-serve-frozen-yogurt-franchise-history

[7] http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/news/black-new-white-2016/

[8] http://www.spacemanusa.com/more-fun-facts-about-frozen-yogurt/

[9] https://www.franchisehelp.com/industry-reports/frozen-yogurt-industry-report/

 

Swirl Won’t Curl? Seeing Ice Crystals? Let’s Fix That!

Problem: Product is too soft.  Symptoms: Cones won’t stand up. The soft serve looks wet. The product starts melting almost immediately.

Treatment: First, check your machine’s temperature settings. We recommend setting the temperature between 18 and 21 degrees and the temperature inside the hopper be at 41 degrees. Since your soft serve seems too soft, try setting it more towards 18 degrees. If this checks out, move on to examining your scraper blades. Plastic blades should be replaced every three months and stainless blades every six. If your blades are in good shape, reexamine the mixing instructions on the bag and on the bucket. The amount of liquid you add will directly affect your soft serve texture. (Our complimentary mixing bucket has premeasured lines to help you get the mixture perfect!) If all of that is okay, we suggest contacting your soft serve machine representative for a service call. There are other mechanical issues that can cause soft serve machines to malfunction or work less efficiently.

Problem: Product is too firm. Symptoms: Soft Serve texture is icy and firm.

Treatment: First, check that the machine’s temperature dial is set properly. We recommend setting the temperature between 18 and 21 degrees and the temperature in the hopper be at 41 degrees. Since your soft serve seems too firm, try adjusting the temperature more towards 21 degrees. Next, confirm that your machine’s air holes and lines are clean and open. If they seem blocked, please refer to your machine’s owner’s manual for cleaning instructions. If you are still reading this, we assume you are still troubleshooting. Check the sharpness and life of your scraper blades.  It is recommended that plastic blades be replaced every three months and stainless blades every six. Lastly, review the steps and measurements in our product instructions. If you think that you didn’t add enough liquid or didn’t whisk the mixture long enough, try the mixing steps again and add the new mixture to the other side of the hopper. Lastly, if you still have icy soft serve, please contact your soft serve machine representative to schedule a service call. There are other mechanical issues that can cause soft serve machines to malfunction.

Troubleshooting The Perfect Swirl

Recommended Storage Procedures for Frostline® Soft Serve Mixes

Frostline® Soft Serve mixes are stable for up to one year when stored unopened in a cool dry place.

Once the soft serve product has been mixed with water, the mixture should be immediately poured into your soft serve machine or refrigerated in the complimentary mixing bucket with affixed lid. The recommended shelf life of the refrigerated mixture is a maximum of 48 hours. The FDA requires the reconstituted product temperature to be reduced to 41°F within four hours inside the hopper or within the refrigerator and remain at or below 41°F.

Family-Friendly Soft Serve

When you’re in the soft serve business, soft serve is always on the brain. Of course this isn’t a bad thing, however, it does lend itself to constantly thinking about the benefits of soft serve. One benefit that always comes to mind is how soft serve can instantly enhance a casual restaurant’s image as a family-friendly dining establishment. Adults and children alike seem to “save room for dessert” when they see that familiar, shiny, metal soft serve machine. That one machine has the power to turn a first-timer into a loyal customer. It has the ability to label a restaurant as “kid-friendly” faster than filling up a waffle cone. Some restaurants offer complimentary soft serve because they believe it is the key to building repeat business. Others know that offering soft serve, along with toppings or possibly chocolate sauce to make dipped cones, creates rapport among patrons.

Family Friendly Soft Serve

Sometimes eating out gets a bad rap by critics who feel home-cooked meals are better for family conversation. Although we agree gathering around the dining room table is definitely special; eating together at a restaurant is also a wonderful way to bond and share conversation. The key is “together”. In fact, a restaurant meal forces children to sit rather than quickly finishing their vegetables and retreating to their rooms. And if the customer is lucky enough to eat at a restaurant that offers complimentary soft serve like Sweet Tomatoes, their dining time (aka family bonding) lengthens because there is simply no way anyone can pass up FREE, all-you-can-eat soft serve!

Statistics suggest that eating together as a family has many mental and physical benefits. Recently the CASA (The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University) published a study that supported family dining. The study showed a decreased risk of children smoking, drinking or using other drugs when families came together for meals. It also showed that children classified their relationship with their mom or dad more highly than those who did not eat together. Source: http://www.casacolumbia.org/addiction-research/reports/importance-of-family-dinners-2012

Eating together gives parents a chance to take some time to connect with their kids, model good table manners, practice gratitude, incorporate everyday consumer math into the conversation (resolving the question “why do I have to learn math”), dig a little deeper (school, work, peers, weekend plans, hopes, dreams, aspirations), and most importantly  – HAVE FUN!

Kids LOVE soft serve for dessert

Speaking of FUN, did we mention how much FUN eating soft serve can be for families? If you don’t already offer soft serve to your customers, you might consider adding it to next year’s menu:)

Frostline® Soft Serve and Frozen Yogurt Mixes Offer Solutions for Commercial Soft Serve Machines

Frostline® Frozen Treats soft serve and frozen yogurt mixes operate in ALL commercial soft serve machines as well as the Rival™ home ice cream maker. ElectroFreeze, SaniServe, Stoelting and Taylor are just a few of the available brand-name machines that create perfectly frozen, delicious soft serve everyday!

Soft serve machines are self-contained units that will store, churn and freeze soft serve mix into a delectable, frozen treat. If you require a medium or high volume machine for production, the machine must be able to freeze additional product to replenish what is being dispensed. Two types of commercial machines are available: gravity-fed machines and pressurized machines. Gravity-fed machines require staff to pour liquid soft serve mix into the top of the hopper and gravity pulls the mix down into the freezing cylinder. Pressurized machines follow the same loading process but an electric pump transfers the soft serve mixture into the freezing cylinder. An added benefit of a pressurized machine is the location of the hopper – usually underneath the dispensing head in a refrigerated cabinet. This location reduces spillage and physical strain when compared to the design of a gravity-fed machine.

Frostline® The Perfect Frozen Treat™

Many factors go into the purchase of a soft serve ice cream machine.  You will need to know your budget, projected sales volume, space allowance, desired mixing features, and whether you want to buy new or used. Soft serve machines vary in price, service, and reliability. The Frozen Yogurt Review has compiled reviews and a comparison chart of some of the top commercial soft serve machines. Another useful document is from Foodservice Equipment Reports. It contains an in-depth review of soft serve ice cream including history, commercial machines and health department inspections. http://www.fermag.com/sr/v12i02_sr_softserve.htm.

Purchasing a soft serve machine is an investment and requires diligent research. As with any significant purchase, it is always best to shop and compare! Make sure to read customer reviews, compare warranties and identify a point of contact in case you experience difficulties with your machine. Whether you are just starting out, replacing an old machine, adding an additional machine, or just curious about dry mix; we are excited about your soft serve plans! Please let us know if you want to sample Frostline® Frozen Treat mixes. We can assure you that your customers will love the taste and your business will love the profitability and usability of our mixes.