Art of Aging: Vincent's Homemade Ice Cream

MT. HOLLY, N.J. (WPVI) -- One New Jersey couple is spending their golden years making sweet treats for others to enjoy.

Vincent Amico spent the bulk of his career working in health care. But, when he retired, he started cooking.

He is the co-owner with Jackie DiCarlo of Vincent's Homemade Ice Cream.

He says, "Someone gave me an ice cream maker and I started making ice cream and giving it to friends."

And Vincent's Homemade Ice Cream was born.

Vincent opened his first ice cream parlor a decade ago in Trenton. When he opened another shop on High Street in Mt Holly, he recruited his fiance, Jackie to help.

"He drug me, (she laughs), kicking and screaming. I had actually retired," says Jackie.

"She had retired already," added Vincent. "I was retired for about two years when we opened this," she says.

Vincent makes the ice cream in small batches, two and a half gallons at a time. He's known for his farm fresh Jersey fruit flavors.

Jackie says, "I think blueberry is by far the most popular."

"It's local. We're on edge of the pinelands and a lot of the blueberry farms are within five, ten minutes of here," said Vincent.

Jackie handles the business end. Vincent says, "She's my official taster." And, Vincent adds that Jackie is also the bookkeeper, scheduler and decorator.

He says, "We're a good team. We work well together."

And they work a lot. The shops are open six months out of the year. They spend 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week making and selling their gourmet ice cream.

"We have a half an hour in the morning where we sit on the porch and drink our coffee. And, then a half an hour at night with a glass of wine, (laughs), before we go to bed," said Jackie.

But it is a labor of love.

"The Newark Star Ledger did an article on us about four years ago, rated us as one of the top five in the state," added Vincent.

One customer says, "It's like that homemade ice cream feeling, and this tastes like a New Jersey summer."

"You want to make people happy. It's a good feeling when people eat your ice cream and say god that's good. It just feels good," said Vincent.

For more information on other senior activities, visit our Art of Aging section.