The Great Peppermint Stick Ice Cream Shortage.
According to my own made-up statistics, there is a 99.9% chance you do not have “peppermint stick” ice cream in your freezer. How do I know this? Let’s just say I’ve become a bit of an expert on the subject.
Peppermint stick ice cream.
Before I continue, I need to explain what peppermint stick ice cream is not. It is not “mint chocolate chip,” or any mint ice cream that can be purchased from your local grocer year-round. Peppermint stick is a seasonal ice cream that is only produced and distributed after Thanksgiving.
Simply, it is vanilla ice cream containing little chunks of candy cane. It is never pink or green in color.
BEWARE! Counterfeit peppermint stick ice cream!
Now that that’s cleared up, I’d like to discuss what I see as a serious peppermint stick ice cream shortage in this country. Simply put, you can’t find it anywhere! As soon as stores get some in stock, it sells out instantly. Case in point, the Publix store near my house. Over the weekend, my wife saw a woman purchasing 23 half-gallons of the stuff at once! As far as my wife could tell, the woman wasn’t buying it for an upcoming school or church event. She was just hoarding the ice cream. Buying every last box-full, because she knew if she didn’t, the next peppermint stick ice cream lovin’ shopper to come along would.
What’s up with that?
I mean, this seasonal dessert is delicious and all, but it’s no Rocky Road, if you know what I mean. And for that matter, you can make your own peppermint stick ice cream, by smashing up candy canes and sprinkling it over vanilla.
But that’s too much for a guy like me. I believe peppermint stick ice cream should be available in grocery stores in abundant quantities.
For the record, my wife approached the woman with the 23 half-gallons in her buggy, and asked if she would consider letting us purchase some. She agreed to part with just one!
As it turns out, my wife and I returned to the same grocery store the next day. Lo and behold, there were three gallons of peppermint stick ice cream in the freezer! And for a moment, we thought about buying just one and leaving the rest for another deserving family.
I said we thought about it.
I didn’t say we did it!
Yum!
A quick note about the author: Tim Waller has lived in Greenville, South Carolina since 1994. He and his family love the Upstate area. This is a blog about their life. 
Peppermint ice cream is my all time favorite Christmas ice cream! I think I’ll just make it – sounds a lot easier than trying to scrounge one of the last one’s in the grocery store freezer!
Jenn, I can speak for other parts of the country, but here in Upstate SC, peppermint stick ice cream is almost always sold-out. Thank goodness I’m a Rocky Road lover!
It must be the brownie in you!
Tooo funny! I am not a pepperment stick eater, or I would probably be ALL OVER this stuff!
My wife has been buying ice cream lately, but we haven’t seen the peppermint you refer to; I must confess, however, we haven’t really been looking for it. Peppermint candy canes are certainly tasty, and to be had in plenty around here. That’s a great idea about smashing up the canes and sprinkling on top of the vanilla.
Our daughter made the sweets this Christmas, and one of her favorite was a peppermint cake; it seems like it may have been a Paula Deen recipe. Anyway, it was very good. She even placed candy canes all around the cake. There was quite a bit of smashed peppermint in the icing.
Pastor Ron,
I may have to rescind my earlier statement on the peppermint stick ice cream “shortage.” As the season went on, I kept a close eye out for this type of ice cream, and noticed a mostly-ample supply through Christmas. Maybe the manufacturers got wise and produced more this year!!?
So much for my theories! Thanks for visiting.
Tim