It sounds like sort of a silly question on the face of it.
If it was asked of a home economics or science teacher by a student in a classroom, I could imagine at least a few of the cohort having a bit of a snigger at its presumed redundancy.
But actually, it’s a very astute question, and one I shall endeavor to answer in full.
Why It’s Not a Silly Question
When you actually start to mull the question over, you begin to notice how it’s much more of a complicated inquiry than it first seems.
Have you ever had a few too many on an evening then set yourself up with a lovely glass of water to wake up to in the morning when inevitable nausea and dry mouth takes hold?
You drink half of it then you’re off to eat your way through the rest of the hangover.
You forget it’s there for a couple evenings then rediscover it later in the week. Do you drink it? Absolutely not.
It’s stale, but if ice is only water, shouldn’t that also go stale after a certain duration?
Animal life on earth has collectively evolved to instinctively avoid stagnant water.
Ancient alarm bells in our genes go off, warning us that still water is far more likely to contain harmful bacteria.
It’s why you’ll rarely see your cat drinking from their bowl, but they’ll be guzzling from your water feature in the garden 24/7.
So, does ice qualify as stagnant water? Doesn’t the freezing process eliminate harmful bacteria? Let’s find out.
Does Ice Go Bad?
The crazy truth is, yes, ice does go bad. Just as the liquid form will be tainted after a certain amount of time has elapsed, so can the chilly solid state.
Just like other consumables, ice is susceptible to build-ups of harmful bacteria, which, if consumed, can cause just as much trouble as gone off food.
In fact, because we don’t equate ice with food, or even water sometimes, when we get some form of food poisoning, we won’t even point the finger at good old, loyal, clean, refreshing ice.
The truth is, ice is commonly the cause because far less care is taken with ice than is taken during food preparation and storage.
What’s Growing on My Ice?
They aren’t some strange, ice-specific organisms that grow on and inside your ice. It’s the same old enemies we avoid in our food every day of our lives.
Salmonella, E.Coli, and even Hepatitis organisms can thrive on that innocent-looking ice cube clanking around in your gin and tonic. Scary stuff, huh?
How Long Can You Store Ice Before It Goes Bad?
Provided it’s properly stored and kept at a suitable temperature, ice can last a fairly long time without developing any changes to its flavor.
It’s for this reason that bags of ice you can buy from the store don’t have expiration dates.
They simply warn you not to re-freeze once they’re partially thawed - Something you should be particularly mindful of if it’s a fairly long drive from your house to the store.
How long exactly you can keep ice if it’s in an airtight container or bag is hard to say. In optimal conditions, it might last a couple of years, but to play it safe, treat it like food.
Freezer friendly foods may last up to four months if properly stored. After that, it’s a good idea to throw it out.
Although a good vacuum-sealed bag may prevent bacteria from getting to your ice, and a consistent temperature will hit the pause button on bacteria already in your ice, there are other factors to consider too.
Some plastics are more stable than others, but it’s scientific fact that all plastics leach eventually, especially when exposed to extreme temperatures.
By leaching, I mean that chemicals from the plastic essentially leak out and are absorbed by your food.
You shouldn’t even use a plastic water bottle for more than four weeks. Beyond that, microscopic chemicals - some, carcinogens - start the migration from your bottle to the water within.
What Causes Ice To Go Bad Prematurely?
The main reason all that nasty bacteria gets into ice is that to some small or large degree, it has thawed, then been re-frozen.
During this semi-melting process, bacteria gets its mojo back and starts growing again, and not just on the surface of your ice either.
The bacteria can wriggle into spaces left by the thaw and penetrate your ice before being shut in by a re-freeze.
Poor storage is another ice obliterator. Much like wood, ice is a porous substance.
Ever noticed your wooden spoon still smells and looks the color of the curry you made a week ago even though you’ve washed it numerous times?
It’s because the wood has absorbed the food into itself. Ice does the same thing, predominantly with scents.
When ice is exposed, even if it’s kept at the correct temperature, it will soak up the savory scents of your freezer...yummy.
If your ice tastes like you’re licking your freezer baskets, throw it away and buy or make some more.
Doesn’t Freezing Consumables Kill Bacteria?
While freezing food does stop bacterial growth, it does not sterilize the way heating things does.
So, if you’re unsure about the quality of your tap water, say, if you live in a hard water area, the ice in your tray is going to harbor the exact same stuff you’ve been wary of in your water supply.
Honey, I Shrunk the Ice
If you’ve ever kept ice cubes in your freezer for an extended period, you may have noticed that they’ve mysteriously shrunk.
You think you’re going nuts at first, but no, you’re sure. These cubes are smaller than when you put them in there. It’s not a Borrower situation.
You won’t find little people equipped with tiny ice picks and cold bags stealing chips of ice for their tiny soirees. What’s actually happening is simultaneously much less and much more magical.
Many freezers have a frost-free function that removes moisture from internal air.
This is so you don’t develop a localized Antarctica in your kitchen, but it also has an effect on your ice.
Due to the air in your freezer having a particularly low vapor pressure, much lower than the exterior of your ice cubes, a process known as sublimation occurs.
Sublimation describes the event of a substance skipping a state. For ice, this would be it’s melted liquid state. It decides it’s gonna play hooky on that phase and turns directly into a gas.
Final Thaw-ts
There you have it, cool cats, the answer to your cold inquiry. See, not such a silly question after all. Ice can in fact go bad, but it’s not something I’d worry too much about.
Don’t let this revelation forever ruin your White Russians and Mojitos.
It’s good to be careful, but you’ve gotta keep on living your life to the full, and sometimes that involves sucking down some deliciously refreshing iced beverages.
Armed with the knowledge you now possess, you’re safer than you’ve ever been.