From Soil to Scoop: A Celebration of Black Culinary Ingenuity

(Updated: Feb. 4, 2026, 8:08 a.m.)

In honor of February being Black History Month, let's shine a light on some historic black inventors who have helped shape the way we cultivate, preserve and enjoy food today. While the list is extensive, these are just a few to highlight; George Washington Carver is well known for his inventions and contributions in crop rotation and over 300 peanut uses, his work saved the economy of the South by restoring nitrogen to the soil. Fredrick McKinley Jones invented the Portable Air Cooling Unit (Refrigeration), this revolutionized the transport of perishable food globally. Alice H. Parker designed a Gas Heating Furnace that paved the way for modern kitchen temperature control. Our final honorable mention is the work of Alfred L. Cralle, who invented the Ice Cream Mold and Disher which created the modern mechanical ice cream scoop we use today.

In celebration of Black History Month and the creativity of Black inventors such as Alfred L. Cralle and his Ice Cream Mold and Disher invention, check out this deliciously healthy recipe for Banana Ice Cream!

Image of 2 ripe bananas laying to the left of a pink bowl with a scoop of Banana Ice Cream and a spoon inside.
Two ripe bananas laying to the left of a pink bowl with a scoop of Banana Ice Cream and a spoon inside

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 bananas (2-3 bananas)
  • 3 tablespoons 1% milk
  • chocolate syrup (optional)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. When bananas have become very ripe, peel and slice them into medium size round pieces. Place on a plastic wrap covered baking sheet and put in freezer overnight.
  3. Place frozen bananas in a food processor or blender with a small splash of milk (not over 1/4 cup total).
  4. Pulse food processor or blender until bananas begin to break up. They will be tiny balls of bananas at this point.
  5. Using a spoon or rubber spatula, scrape down the banana mixture. Continue running the food processor until the mixture is smooth and creamy. This may take a few minutes. The ice cream will look and tasted like soft serve ice cream when finished.
  6. Serve in an ice cream cone or in a small bowl with a small ribbon of chocolate syrup on top (optional).
 


Sources:


George Washington Carver's Tuskegee Institute Experiment Station Bulletins

How One Man's Invention Changed Food Access World-Wide

BlackPast - Alice H. Parker

BlackPast - Alfred L. Cralle

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Keilah Howard
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