Can You Refreeze Ice Cream?
During the hot season, who doesn’t want to have some refreshing and creamy ice cream?
With new invented flavors (chocolate peanut butter cup, black cherry, double dunker, and a lot more) and toppings including creme fraiche.
You’ll surely have a blast in choosing what to pick. But since we can’t have them all at once, sometimes, we needed to just put them back in the freezer and have another cone later on.
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, “Ice Cream” consists of a mixture of dairy ingredients such as milk and nonfat milk, and ingredients for sweetening and flavoring, such as fruits, nuts, and chocolate chips.
Clotted cream has a high fat content like cream and can be frozen.
But can we have refrozen ice cream?
It won’t be in its best taste but yes, it can be refrozen as long as it has never been above the safe temperature of 40F.
Though some exceptions need to be reminded for your safety and you’ll get all of these from here.
Is It Safe to Refreeze Your Ice Cream?
If your ice cream has been outside your refrigerator or been thawed less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit within two hours, you can still refreeze.
But if it is already melted and has been out for more than two hours, it’s best to discard it already since it will be prone to food contamination due to bacterial growth.
How to properly refreeze ice cream?
- First, you can use an insulation bag if you buy ice cream from a grocery store to ensure it does not melt easily while you’re driving home. Particularly if you are serving ice cream for a big group – keep it frozen
- If you’re at home already, put your ice cream in the fridge and keep it there at all times as much as possible to ensure it won’t melt and form crystal bits.
- If you’re going to eat your ice cream, it may remain out within less than two hours and if there will be leftovers, you can refreeze it immediately. Keep the ice cream in its proper container to prevent freezer burn.
- Thawing should be in your refrigerator and not at room temperature because it is possible for food contamination and is not highly recommended. Thawed and refrozen ice cream also lessen the quality of your ice cream. It might not be the same taste and texture as the first time you had it.
- Consuming your ice cream in the fridge within a day or so is the right time to prevent bacterial growth that will cause foodborne illness.
- You can put toppings every time you’ll eat your ice cream to make it more delicious and sweet-tooth satisfying. It is way better instead of having it while refreezing it.
- Ready for another brain freeze?
How can you tell if ice cream has gone bad?
As much as you wanted to melt this ice cream, not in its container but into your mouth up to the last drop, making sure if it is still safe will be the very first thing you have to check on it.
Look
First, look at the “best before date”. That’s the most important when buying ice cream or even other products. Especially if you don’t have plans of taking this dessert soon. It also changes its color and became less or different from its original appearance of it.
Smell
If there will be off smell, better not to taste it. That’s not going to be the right step to identify its spoilage and it might lead to food poisoning.
Texture
It forms an ice crystal at the top and bottom lids. It also became inconsistent like being soft and gooey from being smooth and creamy.
It might be tempting to keep refreezing your ice cream instead of having it into waste but always follow the proper handling and safety storage to ensure it can last not forever but at least up to the best quality that you deserve. Because in every meal, always ends the course with a melt-in-your-mouth and tongue-tingle ice cream dessert!