Pickled Strawberries & Banana Bread
If you were lucky enough to taste Salt & Straw’s “Pickled Strawberry Banana Natto Bread” Ice Cream flavor, I am sorry! It came early last summer, and I am hoping they bring back this fantastic flavor. The kids gave me the gift that keeps giving at Christmas. A 3-month subscription for Salt & Straw’s Flavors of the Month. Every month S&S releases five new flavors that will are sold in stores just for that month. They serve the five flavors alongside their rotating signature flavors. Which means that one particular flavor you will fall in love with, will only be around for a few months or just one!
The flavors in the last two months have been interesting. The creamery does try to source ingredients that are not only local and responsibly made but also within the season. As you can imagine, the winter months are filled with a lot of chocolate and jelly. I think moving into the spring and summer months. The flavors are more appetizing, although my kids were excited to have a month dedicated to chocolate. Last month hit flavor with everyone was the “TCHO’s Cinnamon Spiced Milk Chocolate Crunch” which just popped in your mouth. Love me cinnamon after tones.
The flavor of the month is fun but a killer on my pre-diabetic status and my gut! It is 5 pints of ice cream dropped on your doorstep, once a month. Our rule is when the next shipment arrives; whatever is left in the freezer, it gets tossed. This month is coming to a close soon, and I am surprised by the flavor losing the great fight. Sadly “Woodblock’s Ecuadorian Chocolate w/ Cacao Fruit Jelly” was not a hit for the family. The weird texture of the jellied or candied fruit in the ice cream was too gummy and annoying to eat. The surprise pint for us was the “Cloudforest’s Gray Chocolate & Matcha,” it’s GRAY ice cream, I was having a really Steel Magnolias moment eating this ice cream. My advice next time, gray chocolate mixed with red velvet cake and call it Jackson’s Bleeding Armadillá!
I know somewhere in the Salt & Straw factory there is a hidden freezer vault that has a hidden treasure trove of their flavors. Somewhere in there is the fantastic “Pickled Strawberry Banana Natto Bread” ice cream. I would kill for just one pint. Now I am left with the hope that they will bring back the flavor this summer. This last shipment I was smitten with “Xocolatl de David’s Oaxacan Honey & Pasilla Fudge” and last month, I was surprised to polish off “The Elvis Peanut Butter Banana Split.” As I am not a fan of Elvis himself, I was gaga over the fact S&S did an ice cream with Marionberry jam and peanut butter “brittle.” So if you are in Portland, SF, LA, Seattle or Downtown Disney? Stop by and thank me later.
If you want to try out the flavors of the month club, then my suggestion is to start it in May or June. Those are the best months because the fruit flavors are all over the place and there is always a pie theme flavor and who can resist crunchy pie dough in the ice cream!