When opening ice cream for the first time, it is always so easy to scoop. But once returned to the freezer and then used a second time (such as a day later) it is always so much harder. Why is that? There must be some logical explanation. We even did an experiment where we bought ice cream, stored it in the freezer for a day, opened it for the first time and it was soft. However, upon second use (a day later) it was hard...puzzling. Come on scientists; help us out on this one!
2007-02-04 13:56:14 · 5 answers · asked by john_hollykaiser 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It is not moisture in the air. Your freezer is too cold. The ideal temperature for ice cream is about 3 degrees below freezing. Any lower, the ice crystals that form are too large. When ice crystals are large, they get tangled up with one another, making ice cream hard and too icy. Prefect creamy ice cream has tiny ice crystals that just flows easily when pushed or moved. Lower the temperature of the freezer if you don't want icy ice cream.
2007-02-04 16:09:06 · answer #1 · answered by Kitiany 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because there is moisture in the air. Once you open the ice cream, it's exposed to that air. Air in the freezer is especially hydrated. That stuff essentially becomes ice in your ice cream. That's why after a while, your ice cream gets "freezer burn", essentially because its so much ice, so little cream.
The reason is much different than the reason bread gets stale or soda goes flat, though.
ADDENDUM:
To keep ice cream from hardening, you have a few solutions. First, there's tupperware. Now this won't completely eliminate the problem, but it will slow it down considerably. Something virtually airtight is much better at keeping out moisture than a cardboard box. Second, you can lower the setting on your freezer (effectively making it warmer, slowing down freezer burn). This is definitely suggested if your ice cream is hard the next day after opening it. It should take at least two days. ;-). Third, there's my personal solution: eat it all at once.
2007-02-04 14:04:16 · answer #2 · answered by ufralphie 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Its got to do with the air that gets in there after the factory seal is broken. Okay, now I've gotta run and get my ice cream sandwich. Goodnight.
2007-02-04 14:04:08 · answer #3 · answered by Sleek 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As interesting as the above answers are, I think what we all really want to know is how to STOP it happening.
In fact, I presume this is what the original questioner meant to ask, but they were too shy to say outright.
2007-02-04 14:16:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because it is exposed to air and the air circulates in the space that is now empty and hardens it..like air making things stale or soda flat
2007-02-04 14:00:28 · answer #5 · answered by countrygrl278 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋