Eco-Product Review - Straus Raspberry Ice Cream
Sarah Jowett
November 05, 2007
One good thing about "reviewing" organic, natural, etc items is that there is definitely no shortage of choices! I try to choose items that "average" people might actually use or consume, not going for the $100 "organic cotton" sheets, but things you might see at your grocery store or that are worth purchasing online but are not too expensive.
Today I came across Straus Family Creamery Super Premium Ice Cream in Raspberry, which states "I'm Organic" rather boldly on the package. This product is not only USDA Certified Organic, but is also certified by KSA to be kosher and certified organic by Marin Organic, a local Marin County "association of organic producers" where the creamery is located.
While the Santa Cruz Organic juice was local for me but moved to the Midwest after being successful, since 1941 the Straus Family Creamery has been located in Marshall, CA, which is about 60 miles north of San Francisco.
Having been certified organic in 1994, the first certified organic dairy west of the Mississippi, according to their web site, the full range of Straus Family Creamery products include milk, butter, ice cream and yogurt, all organic.
Unfortunately, they seem to have a rather limited distribution area as I found stores for the Bay Area, Merced, LA and even Las Vegas, but none in NY or Iowa.
Their site has a very extensive informational area that covers their battle against "Greenhouse Gases", "Waste Management" and information on "Free Farmed vs Organic".
Now, to warn you up front, I am not much of an ice cream person, it's generally too rich and creamy so I like sherbets better, but the Straus product is not too creamy or heavy, it has a nice texture... but it's also not very flavorful. The COLOR indicates it has raspberries in it, but it's hard to taste them, there's not even chunks of fruit.
Perhaps one of the other flavors (Vanilla Bean, Dutch Chocolate, Coffee or Mint Chocolate) might have more "kick" to it, and I would probably get the raspberry again if it had more raspberry flavor along with some chunks of the wonderful fruit. I might try the Dutch Chocolate sometime in the future, but since I am not really an ice cream person, that might be a while.
Straus Family Creamery
Today I came across Straus Family Creamery Super Premium Ice Cream in Raspberry, which states "I'm Organic" rather boldly on the package. This product is not only USDA Certified Organic, but is also certified by KSA to be kosher and certified organic by Marin Organic, a local Marin County "association of organic producers" where the creamery is located.
While the Santa Cruz Organic juice was local for me but moved to the Midwest after being successful, since 1941 the Straus Family Creamery has been located in Marshall, CA, which is about 60 miles north of San Francisco.
Having been certified organic in 1994, the first certified organic dairy west of the Mississippi, according to their web site, the full range of Straus Family Creamery products include milk, butter, ice cream and yogurt, all organic.
Unfortunately, they seem to have a rather limited distribution area as I found stores for the Bay Area, Merced, LA and even Las Vegas, but none in NY or Iowa.
Their site has a very extensive informational area that covers their battle against "Greenhouse Gases", "Waste Management" and information on "Free Farmed vs Organic".
Now, to warn you up front, I am not much of an ice cream person, it's generally too rich and creamy so I like sherbets better, but the Straus product is not too creamy or heavy, it has a nice texture... but it's also not very flavorful. The COLOR indicates it has raspberries in it, but it's hard to taste them, there's not even chunks of fruit.
Perhaps one of the other flavors (Vanilla Bean, Dutch Chocolate, Coffee or Mint Chocolate) might have more "kick" to it, and I would probably get the raspberry again if it had more raspberry flavor along with some chunks of the wonderful fruit. I might try the Dutch Chocolate sometime in the future, but since I am not really an ice cream person, that might be a while.
Straus Family Creamery
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