Rippey’s Powdered Foamoline

"To the women folks: you can excel in the making of ice creams," promised a 1905 ad for Rippey's Powdered Foamoline. "Fine as silk and smooth as velvet." footnote

Foamoline was essentially a compound of thickeners, stabilizers, and emulsifiers that was used for making homemade ice cream, as well as whipped cream, meringue, sherbet, and fruit frosts (best described as a sort of love child of sorbet and meringue).

The product was introduced in 1895 footnote by the William Rippey company, a family-run business primarily known for their flavoring extracts, baking powder, and cake icings. It was a popular item, especially in the midwest, where the company was based. "It was a wonderful product," raved one home cook. footnote Said another: "I remember that at one time Foamaline [sic] was considered an excellent stabilizer." footnote

Foamoline sold well through the 1940s, after which time General Foods—manufacturer of Jell-O, which had its own line of ice cream powders—bought out the William Rippey company and took the product off the market. footnote