Ice cream is one of the nation’s favorite desserts, it goes well paired with hot puddings, or a big Sunday or even just a plain tub of it on its own is so scrummy.
Some people get confused about knowing whether ice cream can go bad or not, so we’re here to solve the confusion and to let you if it does.
We’ve answered a whole array of common queries that people have about eating and storing ice cream, so you’ll find everything you need to know below.
Spoiler alert… It does go bad eventually but read on to find out how long you should actually be keeping your ice cream in your freezer.
How long will unopened ice cream last in the freezer
An unopened tub of ice cream can last up to two to three months in the freezer, but you may still want to check the sell-by date to be sure as sometimes they are longer than this period
How long will opened ice cream last in the freezer
If you’ve opened up a tub of ice cream to eat and then put it back in the freezer, then most companies say you have one to two months shelf life before you should throw it away.
However, just to be on the safe side, we recommend eating it within two weeks of opening it if you haven’t securely stored it back in the freezer.
How can you tell if ice cream has gone bad?
If you look super close at your opened tub of ice cream, there will be a layer of ice that has formed the surface of the ice cream and also under the lid of the tub lid.
If you’ve only recently opened the tub, then this layer is fine to scoop away to get to the fresh layer of ice cream to still enjoy.
However, if you’ve left it for a long period then the consistency of the ice cream will change entirely and it’ll be gooey and have an icy texture to it.
One of the most obvious ways you can tell if ice cream has gone bad, is that if it has a strong odor, more specifically, a bad one.
Sometimes it may take a while for a bad small to occur with ice cream that’s gone bad, so you can’t always be too sure if it has.
To avoid any sore bellies or illnesses, you should just throw it in the garbage and buy yourself another one - that’s extra ice cream anyway!
Can I eat ice cream if it has been left out of the freezer?
If the container of ice cream has been left out for over two hours then you should throw it away and definitely not indulge in what’s left of it.
There’s a good chance that harmful bacteria will grow and thrive on dairy products left at room temperature, so it will be unsafe to eat once it has completely melted.
Even if you think your house is a cool temperature, bacteria can start growing in temperatures as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so it should either be put back in the freezer straight away or if left out, put straight in the garbage.
Once the ice cream has melted it loses its creamy texture because the air used to whip it in the churning process has been lost.
That’s why when you try to refreeze it, it turns into a solid block instead of returning to its soft creamy state.
What will happen if I eat ice cream that has gone bad?
Bacteria thrive in products that contain milk, so ice cream is a perfect victim.
So if your ice cream was way out of date, then you will probably have common symptoms of food poisoning such as cramps, nausea, diarrhea which can last for a couple of hours up to a few days.
If your symptoms persist longer than this period then you should notify a doctor.
How to store ice cream?
Once you have opened a tub of ice cream and you’ve finished eating what you want, you should put it back in the freezer immediately with the tip firmly on top to keep out all the moisture and any bacteria that may occur.
If you want to make your ice cream last even longer, you can repeat the above and then also put the tub into a tight Tupperware container.
The freezer can slow down the growth of bacteria on opened ice creams but cannot prevent it, however, double selling your tub will help extend the shelf life.
Take care
Some desserts and puddings contain icecream without you even realizing it, so make sure you check the packaging of your products before opening them.
Don’t leave items that contain ice cream out on a dinner table for hours, not only will it probably melt everywhere but bacteria could have got to it.
It’s important to check before opening because if you want to put the dessert back in the fridge to store, then it may not be safe once it’s been opened and exposed to room temperature.
You’ll need to put it back in the freezer quickly after serving or we guess you’ll have to eat it all in one go - the latter doesn’t sound too bad!
We hoped this article helped you find out a bit more about ice cream and will make you think twice before leaving a tub of half-finished Ben and Jerries on the countertop instead of storing it safely away in the freezer ready for next time.