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What Are the Ingredients in Ruby Jewel Ice Cream and Its Famous Sandwiches?

3 min read

Founded in 2004 at the Portland Farmers Market, Ruby Jewel has built a reputation for its premium, small-batch ice cream sandwiches. To understand the rich, indulgent experience, it's essential to know exactly what are the ingredients in Ruby Jewel ice cream, from the rBST-free dairy to the fresh, locally sourced mix-ins.

Quick Summary

This article provides a comprehensive breakdown of the core and specialty ingredients used in Ruby Jewel's handcrafted ice cream and cookies for their famous sandwiches.

Key Points

  • Core Dairy: Ruby Jewel ice cream relies on rBST-free milk and cream as its foundation for a high-quality, clean dairy base.

  • Natural Emulsifiers: The ice cream uses egg yolks for richness and stabilizers like Locust Bean Gum to ensure a smooth, creamy texture.

  • Flavor-Specific Ingredients: The unique flavor profiles come from natural additions like vanilla bean seeds, strawberry puree, lavender oil, or dry roasted peanuts, depending on the variety.

  • Artisan Cookies: The premium ice cream is sandwiched between homemade-style cookies made with real butter, eggs, and enriched wheat flour.

  • Locally Sourced: As a Portland-based company, Ruby Jewel prioritizes sourcing ingredients from local and Pacific Northwest farmers and artisans.

  • Small-Batch Production: All ice cream is made in small batches in Portland, ensuring a consistent and premium product.

In This Article

The Core Components of Ruby Jewel Ice Cream

At the heart of every Ruby Jewel ice cream sandwich is a commitment to using high-quality, all-natural ingredients, particularly in the ice cream itself. The Oregon-based company, founded by Lisa Herlinger, prides itself on sourcing ingredients from the Pacific Northwest, with a particular focus on rBST-free dairy. The foundational recipe for most flavors consists of several key elements.

Common Ice Cream Ingredients

Ruby Jewel's ice cream base typically includes rBST-free cream and milk, sugar, rBST-free dry milk, and egg yolks for richness and texture. Water is also included, along with stabilizers such as Locust Bean Gum or a blend like Mono & Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, and Guar Gum to maintain smoothness and prevent rapid melting. Natural flavorings, specific to each variety, like vanilla extract, strawberry puree, or peppermint oil, define the unique tastes.

A Flavor-by-Flavor Ingredient Breakdown

Ruby Jewel is famous for its distinctive flavor combinations. While the base ice cream is consistent in its use of quality dairy and eggs, the additional ingredients vary widely depending on the sandwich flavor.

The Classic (Chocolate Chip Cookies + Vanilla Bean Ice Cream)

The vanilla bean ice cream contains rBST-free dairy, sugar, dry milk, egg yolks, water, vanilla extract and bean seed, and locust bean gum. The chocolate chip cookies are made with enriched wheat flour, butter, sugars, chocolate chips, water, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and sea salt.

Lemon Lavender (Lemon Cookies + Honey Lavender Ice Cream)

This flavor features honey lavender ice cream made with rBST-free dairy, sugar, dry milk, egg yolks, water, honey, locust bean gum, and lavender oil. The lemon cookies include sugar, enriched wheat flour, butter, eggs, water, salt, and natural flavors.

Strawberry (Brown Sugar Cookies + Northwest Strawberry Ice Cream)

The Northwest Strawberry ice cream uses rBST-free dairy, strawberry puree, sugar, sour cream, dry milk, egg yolks, water, locust bean gum, and salt. Brown sugar cookies are made with enriched wheat flour, brown sugar, butter, water, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and salt.

PB Chocolate (Chocolate Cookies + Peanut Butter Ice Cream)

Peanut butter ice cream contains rBST-free dairy, sugar, dry roasted peanuts for peanut butter, dry milk, egg yolks, water, salt, and locust bean gum. The double chocolate cookies are made with enriched wheat flour, butter, sugars, chocolate chips, cocoas, water, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.

Comparison of Ice Cream Flavor Ingredients

Ingredient The Classic (Vanilla Bean) Lemon Lavender Northwest Strawberry Peanut Butter Chocolate
Dairy rBST-Free Cream & Milk rBST-Free Milk & Cream rBST-Free Milk & Cream, Sour Cream rBST-Free Milk & Cream
Sweetener Sugar Sugar, Honey Sugar Sugar
Flavoring Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Bean Seed Honey, Lavender Oil Strawberry Puree Peanut Butter (dry roasted peanuts)
Thickener Locust Bean Gum Locust Bean Gum Locust Bean Gum Locust Bean Gum
Egg Yolk Yes Yes Yes Yes
Other rBST-Free Dry Milk rBST-Free Dry Milk rBST-Free Dry Milk, Salt rBST-Free Dry Milk, Salt

Ruby Jewel's Commitment to Quality

Ruby Jewel emphasizes craftsmanship and quality, producing in small batches to ensure a superior product. This dedication to premium ingredients and careful preparation, including sourcing from the Pacific Northwest, has helped the brand grow from a farmers market stand to wider distribution.

Conclusion

What are the ingredients in Ruby Jewel ice cream sandwiches? They are a combination of simple, high-quality, and often locally sourced components for both the rBST-free dairy ice cream base and the various cookie types. Natural flavorings provide distinct tastes for each variety. This focus on quality sourcing and small-batch production defines the Ruby Jewel experience. Read more about Ruby Jewel's journey and products here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Ruby Jewel is committed to using high-quality, all-natural ingredients, including rBST-free milk and cream, and sourcing many components from local producers in the Pacific Northwest.

No, Ruby Jewel ice cream is made with rBST-free milk, cream, and often eggs, so it is not suitable for those following a vegan or dairy-free diet.

Ruby Jewel ice cream sandwiches contain common allergens such as milk, egg, wheat, and soy. Some flavors may also contain peanuts or trace amounts of tree nuts as they are processed in the same facility.

The cookies for various Ruby Jewel sandwiches contain enriched wheat flour, real butter, sugar, eggs, and specific flavorings like chocolate chips, brown sugar, or lemon.

Locust Bean Gum is a natural thickener and stabilizer derived from the seeds of the carob tree. It is used in ice cream to improve texture, prevent large ice crystals from forming, and slow down melting.

The ingredient list for each specific flavor can usually be found on the product packaging. Online retailers and the official Ruby Jewel website also provide detailed ingredient information for their sandwiches.

Yes, the company explicitly states that its milk and cream are 'rBST-free,' meaning they come from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones.

References

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Medical Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice.