It all starts with happy, healthy, sun bathing cows and six generations of family. The Prigel Family Creamery sits nestled in the rolling hills of Long Green Valley, only 25 minutes from Baltimore City, however it felt hundreds of miles away for this city slicker. Maybe that is because we made a few wrong turns due to the navigator (me) being too busy admiring the scenery. In reality, Bellevale Farm is right outside Towson and Loch Raven Reservoir.
The Prigel family been raising dairy cows on Bellevale Farm for the past 100 years, however it wasn’t until about 5 years ago that they opened the roadside creamery, which offers freshly churned ice cream made from their certified organic milk. It has quickly become a local favorite and destination hot spot due to the high-quality sweet treats and down home family values you only hear about in country music songs. What started with ice cream and milk has quickly grown to offer other locally sourced food, meat, yogurt and even milk based soap.
Mandy (Prigel) Castillo, Director of Catering and Events and daughter of head honcho Bobby Prigel, was kind enough to take time out from her own young children and husband, who is one of the chief ice cream makers, to show me the ropes. The process starts with a herd of over 100 Jersey cows, buff colored creatures majestically roaming the open spaces surrounding the creamery. The bovines are on a strict schedule of being milked twice daily and rotating fields to keep the grass cut to a respectable height, except for this time of year when they are just pushing their snouts into snow searching aimlessly for any sign of coming spring.
Bellevale Farm was certified as organic in 2008, with the soil being fertilized “naturally” and the cows being cared for holistically instead of with antibiotics and synthetic hormones. This treatment also increases each cows life expectancy from 4 years to 20. Prior to opening the creamery, the Prigel family sold their high quality milk to the popular brand Horizon Organic Milk. While they still sell to Horizon, they also sell freshly produced milk, yogurt and ice cream to the public. One of the most noticeable differences is the yellow hue, which comes from the species of cow, grass they consume and organic practices. To some it is startling, but to others a sign of real milk.
Black Cherry Ice Cream
The milk is transported from the milking area to the creamery in large white buckets, where it is separated into wholesale and on-site use portions. Bellevale Farm abides by Maryland law, pasteurizing all of their ingredients, but Mandy is quick to note that they use the lowest temperatures and the shortest length of time as legally allowed to avoid killing off all of the good-for-you natural vitamins and minerals found only fresh milk. The light yellow liquid then makes its way to the homogenizer, which blends the mixture together and prevents it from separating in further states. It runs through a cooler and is piped to the ice cream making room, a Willy Wonka style space where the magic happens. The pasteurized milk is combined with whipping cream, granulated sugar, nonfat powdered milk (for proper texture), egg yolks and an all-natural stabilizer before being made into two base flavors, vanilla and chocolate, from which the rest of the varieties are created. Finally, flavors like maple, natural strawberry and mint (which are actually more of a cream color since no artificial coloring is used) are blended into a base. Other add-ins, like chocolate chips are combined the old fashioned way, by hand, before taking a deep freeze in the -20 degrees walk-in freezer.
Mandy reports that currently the most popular flavors are Salted Caramel Pretzel, classic Vanilla and Bobby’s Black Mud, spiked with Baltimore’s own Zeke’s Turkish coffee grounds and cappuccino chips (parents beware, your children will be WIRED). I had the pleasure of tasting all three flavors during my visit, an Ice Cream Latte (Zeke’s coffee with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream) and a half and half cup of Salted Caramel Pretzel and Bobby’s Black Mud, which surprisingly tastes utterly divine when consumed in the same bite. Banana Splits, Brownie Sundaes, Floats and Ice Cream Sandwiches are also available. Ice cream connoisseurs can also take home all-natural, grass fed pork and beef products, Wildflower honey, Tanner’s Pickles, Woodberry Pantry Jams, S&S Maple Camp Pure Maple Syrup, Dough Run snacks, Vann’s Spices grains and spices and Mudz and Suds soap.
Even at noon on a Saturday with below freezing temperatures, the creamery is hopping with families indulging in sky high scoops of Strawberry, Black Cherry and Cappuccino Chip ice cream. The Prigel Family Creamery offers near 50 flavors seasonally and is always up for the challenge of creating a fresh, new taste. After spying a bottle of pomegranate molasses during my tour, I was giddy at the notion of a vibrant red ice cream with juicy pomegranate seeds. I’ll surely make the drive during the spring and summer months to check for the potential new flavor, as the Prigel Family Creamery will be hosting many family friendly events when the weather breaks. Among them are live music on Friday nights where the store will provide you with a blanket to lounge on the grassy knoll for some quality family time. They also participate in special events and parties, setting up long tables and tents in the fields and even partnering with local restaurants and vineyards to serve entire meals. Make sure to follow Baltimore Foodie and the Prigel Family Creamery on Facebook to learn about upcoming events.
The Prigel Family Creamery will be graciously scooping up their favorites at A Taste of Maryland hosted by Catholic Charities on Saturday, March 7th. What more can attendees ask for than to end their tour of Maryland restaurants with a scoop of ice cream made with Prigel family tender love and care?
This evening of food and fun celebrates Maryland and benefits Our Daily Bread Employment Center. Your event ticket includes valet parking, fine food donated by Maryland chef’s and restaurants, and features an open bar plus live and silent auctions. Enjoy outstanding, unique cuisine prepared by the top chefs of Baltimore and bid on exciting auction items that include trips, golf outings, sports memorabilia, and so much more, highlighting all the best of Baltimore.
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2015
Time: 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Address: Our Daily Bread Employment Center
725 Fallsway, Baltimore, MD 21202
If you’d like to attend this event you can purchase tickets online here.
Other restaurants also participating in A Taste of Maryland: Aldo’s, B-Bistro, Café Gia, Café Hon, Chipparelli’s, The Classic Catering People, Clementine, CP Kitchen, Faidley’s Seafood, Gertrude’s, Gourmet Again, Gourmet Girls, La Scala, Linwoods, Pierpoint Restaurant, Prigel Family Creamery, The French Kitchen, The Salsa Grill, Woodberry Kitchen and more!
Win 1 of 3 pairs of tickets to Taste of Maryland HERE:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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