The Trick You Need To Use To Store Ice Cream

Picture this: You're at home with a sweet tooth. You start digging through the freezer and find that tub of ice cream that you bought a few months ago ... and forgot about. You grab your spoon and lift the lid, ready to dig into that soft, smooth texture, but you see that dreaded layer of hard ice crystals. Yup, the ice cream has fallen victim to freezer burn.

Not only does freezer burn affect the ice cream's texture, it alters the way it tastes, too; and not in a good way. If you've ever had freezer-burned ice cream before, you can attest to this. Sure, crunchy ice cream is fun when the crunch comes from nuts or candy, but ice? Not so much.

Freezer burn can happen to any food that's been sitting in the freezer for an extended period of time. The question is, how can you prevent it on ice cream? Of course, the most obvious way is to simply not leave it in the freezer for so long. It typically takes about three months for food to show signs of freezer burn, according to Inverse. The good news is, there's a variety of ways to prevent freezer burn and keep your ice cream soft.

When there's a sale on Blue Bell, Ben & Jerry's, or whatever your favorite brand is, it may be tempting not to buy multiple tubs at a time. But unless you have a large bowl of ice cream every single day, there's a good chance that a few of those tubs will get freezer burn. There are several ways to store your ice cream to avoid freezer burn. But one easy prevention trick is using Ziploc bags.

Simply place your tub of ice cream in the bag and seal it completely shut. Double-check to make sure that there aren't any gaps in the seal or small holes in the bag. Your goal is to prevent any air from getting into the ice cream, which is what ultimately leads to freezer burn and ice cream hardening (via Healthline).

When you remove the ice cream from the bag, it should be soft, smooth, and free of freezer burn. That means you won't have to wait for it to melt a little before you start scooping. Enjoy!