How to keep ice cream from melting using a thermos?
The favorite cooling treat of all children and adults melts very quickly, especially on a hot summer day. If you decide to have a picnic, then storing ice cream in a thermos is an excellent solution. All guests will be extremely surprised when, after a 3-hour trip in the summer heat, you treat them to a whole, unmelted frozen juice or creamy popsicle. This is quite feasible, you just need to know the elementary laws of physics.
Ice cream, oddly enough, is not a find of Europeans or Americans. The French are convinced that it was their “popsicle” that became the progenitor of all modern varieties of ice cream, but this is not at all the case. For the first time, an exotic dessert at that time appeared in China. Only very wealthy people could treat themselves to a new cold dish. The cooking technology was kept secret. In fact, the juice of fruits and berries was mixed with ice, resulting in fruit ice.
What affects the shelf life of ice cream?
Like all dairy products, ice cream is dangerous if it is long past its expiration date. The shelf life depends solely on the ingredients: the more natural they are, the faster the ice cream needs to be eaten. The main components of a classic ice cream sundae are milk, cream, butter, sweeteners (honey, sugar or molasses) and a stabilizer. All products must be fresh and of high quality so that the finished ice cream can be stored for a long time.
Before entering store freezers, ice cream goes through many stages of preparation:
- cleaning and filtering of all necessary components;
- pasteurization of the mixture (heating to a temperature of 85 degrees for 20 minutes);
- “maturation” of ice cream at a temperature of 15 degrees in special containers;
- whipping to acquire the structure of a delicate, homogeneous mass;
- hardening at a temperature of minus 35 degrees;
- packaging
Not only the appearance depends on the quality of the paper in which the product is packaged and the integrity of the packaging. The packaging is responsible for the safety of the ice cream: if it is damaged, the shelf life is reduced, and the ice cream may acquire an unpleasant aftertaste.
How to properly store ice cream?
In order for us to receive quality products in stores, enterprises store them under certain conditions. Temperatures range from -30 to -20 degrees. The main condition is not to expose ice cream to sudden temperature changes. If the mass has melted, when it freezes again, it will become hard and lose its taste.
Advice
After purchasing ice cream, eat it immediately; do not try to re-freeze the melted product.
Ice cream in stores should not be placed in a compartment with other products. It easily absorbs odors. In addition, storage in the same chamber as meat can lead to food poisoning. Failure to follow the rules is fraught not only with spoilage of your favorite treat, but also with diseases.
How long does your favorite ice cream last?
Despite the long shelf life of milk or fruit and berry ice cream not indicated on the packaging, it cannot be stored for long at all.
Let's consider the shelf life of individual types of ice cream.
- Dairy without additives (nuts, jam, condensed milk) – 75 days.
- Dairy with filler – 60 days.
- Creamy – 100 days.
- Ice cream (cream and chocolate) – 120 days.
- Fruit and berry – 45 days.
- Fruit ice – 90 days.
The above figures refer to portioned desserts weighing no more than 100 g. Large packages (more than 1 kg) can be stored at half the weight. All given terms apply only if the ice cream is stored at a temperature not exceeding -12 degrees.
How to store ice cream without a freezer?
If you decide to surprise your friends and take ice cream with you on a picnic, you can use simpler means than a portable refrigerator. The first thing that comes to mind is a cooler bag. Yes, ice cream can “live” in it for about 2 hours, but not everyone wants to carry a huge bag with them for 3 servings of ice cream.
Anyone who remembers even a little physics from school knows that if some device is capable of storing heat for a long time, it must, accordingly, also retain cold. If a thermos keeps brewed tea warm for a long time on a winter day, then why not use it to preserve ice cream in the summer?
Thermos flasks come with glass and metal inner flasks. Metal thermoses are considered more practical, as they can store heat for 12 hours, while glass thermoses store it for no more than 6 hours. But the time it takes to keep cold in any thermos is the same. The fact is that the vacuum layer between the two cylinders helps reduce the heat transfer coefficient.
How to properly store ice cream in a thermos?
The main condition for the longest storage of ice cream in a thermos is the lack of free space.If you want to treat a large group and take a weighted ice cream with you on a hike, fill the thermos with it up to the neck. The mass must be compacted well with a spoon so that there are no air gaps left. In this state, a thermos with ice cream can be stored for up to 4 hours. After 4-5 hours it will begin to thaw, and after another couple of hours it may deteriorate and become unfit for consumption.
If you take portioned ice cream with you, do not damage the integrity of the packaging. Be sure to place ice cubes in the thermos; they will create additional cold. Ice cream can be stored in a thermos for 5 hours. Carefully inspect the packaging before placing it in a container: water from melted ice may get onto the ice cream.
Storing cold dessert in a thermos depends on the outside temperature and exposure to sunlight. If you decide to take ice cream in a thermos to the beach, wrap it in a towel, place it in your bag and place it in the shade. If you leave a thermos in the sun, within an hour the ice cream will turn into a warm milkshake.
Preserving ice cream on a summer day without a freezer seems like an impossible plan, but just remember the basic laws of physics and the solution comes naturally. If you decide to experiment, watch the time: even in a thermos, ice cream can spoil.