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Our Process
Dedication to every detail of our process is the reason our ices have stood the test of time. It is a labor of love that we enjoy sharing with generations of customers. Both taste and texture are part of the experience.
From our ingredients to our quantities and flavor offerings, less is more. We use simple ingredients; real fruit, seasonal and local when possible, and cane sugar following recipes that have been passed down for generations which is why our flavors are incomparable. It tastes like fruit because it is made form fruit. Simple and delicious!
Making it in micro-batches; just five gallons at a time and limiting our flavor offerings to only up to eight results in the highest quality product. Italian Ice, like gelato, is best when made and enjoyed the in a very short time period. The longer it sits, the more the texture changes. Perhaps a minor detail to some, but important to us. We maintain a consistent precise temperature, keep lids on our canisters to minimize exposure to air and do not add emulsifiers all of which contribute to DiCosmo’s delightful consistency.
In Elizabeth the old-fashioned barrels accomplish this perfectly. The ice is stored in a stainless steel cylinder surrounded in a brine of ice cubes, water and salt enclosed in wooden barrels. No electricity needed to achieve the ideal temperature and consistency.
While this tried and true method works like a charm, and lends itself to the authenticity of our process, it is difficult to maintain. To find something that worked as effectively but more efficiently, we went back to our roots; Italy had the answer. We researched different freezers and learned about a pozetti gelato dipping cabinet. Essentially a modernized version of the barrels where an energy efficient liquid circulates each individual cylinder of Italian ice thus maintaining a consistent temperature to ensure ideal preservation of our ices. So, we had on custom made and it’s beautiful!
