You've been storing ice cream wrong as Ben & Jerry's warn about one common place
A mum's simple hack for storing ice cream has prompted Ben & Jerry's to agree and there's a clear warning for shoppers too. The trick is quite useful to people with a sweet tooth
After a long day of hard work, often the craving for some comfort food is just too much. You arrive home and there's a half-eaten tub of delicious ice cream calling your name from the freezer. But after you open it up, it's partially melted and covered in ice crystals.
That yummy, creamy dessert has become watery thanks to the excess ice and your day is ruined. Thankfully, one mum has the answer - and beloved ice cream manufacturers Ben & Jerry's confirmed it actually works. The mum, from Australia, revealed on Facebook how we're all making the same error with storing our ice cream. According to her, you should actually pop your tubs in the freezer upside down.
This is because upside down tubs help reduce the ice cream from crystallising and going watery. The half-melted ice cream drips downwards onto the lid rather than having lots of space to create crystals.
And it seems Ben & Jerry's are on board, as the ice cream giants shared the hack on their website along with another storage tip. According to them, ice cream should never be stored in the door.
On its website, the ice cream gurus said: "Freezer burn may be your ice cream's worst foe. Spare yourself from experiencing this culinary catastrophe: store your pint upside down somewhere deep in the freezer (never in the door).
"Of course, the other popular way to beat the burn is... eat the whole pint!"
Three common myths about ice cream at home - debunked:
There are a number of factors that need to be remembered when storing frozen food, including and especially ice cream. Unfortunately, there are a number of myths surrounding the dessert - and some are more dangerous than others.
Here's the truth about three common myths when it comes to ice cream...
1. It's safe to refreeze melted ice cream
Refreezing melted ice cream is actually a huge food hygiene issue, as melted dairy is a breeding ground for bacteria. Putting a half-eaten tub of ice cream back in the freezer when part of it has melted can lead to listeria and salmonella to remain in stasis until reopening to consume these nasty bacteria.
As a result, there is a bigger risk of illness for vulnerable groups like young children, pregnant women, the elderly or the immunocompromised.
The Food Standards Agency clarified: "Food that has to be kept frozen (e.g. ice cream) cannot be re-frozen once it has started to defrost. You will have to use it immediately or throw it away.
2. Leaving the spoon in the tub
This myth suggests that leaving the spoon in the tub of ice cream will help keep it soft or easier to scoop. But in reality, it can freeze into the tub and even ruin it thanks to freezer burn and introducing those dreaded ice crystals.
3. It can last forever in the freezer
While many foods can last for long, long periods in the freezer, ice cream is not necessarily one of them. Ben & Jerry's flavour guru Eric Fredette told the kitchn that the expiry date for the dessert still stands.
“Ice cream that has been kept frozen should be good up to the expiration date,” Fredette said. “We do not recommend consuming ice cream after the expiration date.”