Ben & Jerry's reveals why you should store their ice-cream tubs upside down in freezer
We’re pretty sure that a large proportion of the British population have cooled off with an ice-cream in recent days.
It’s also likely, that the brand of choice on many occasions will have been Ben & Jerry’s – whether ‘Phish Food’, ‘Chocolate Fudge Brownie’ or ‘Vanilla’, among their numerous iconic flavours.
If that’s you, then there’s also a high chance that you’ve been storing their tubs all wrong in your freezer.
Indeed, to simply replace it in freezer – upright – after you’ve fetched a scoop or two, is completely wrong.
According to the US-based ice-cream empire, the best practice is to store its tubs upside down.
Ensuring the lid is downwards, and the bottom upwards, helps avoid the unpleasant “freezer burn”.
That’s when you get chunky, watery ice crystals settling on the top that ruin the sweet flavour and texture the next time you tuck in.
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It happens when moisture leaves the ice-cream and “joins forces with moist ambient air”, eventually refreezing on the surface.
What’s more, it’s even more likely to happen if you take the tub out of the freezer to serve, and then forget to put it straight back again – as many of us do, in our eagerness to enjoy it.
According to the brand’s website: “This trick is a little risky (and potentially messy), so ensure you have a tightly fitting lid before attempting.
“Ok, ready? Flip your partially melted pint upside down before refreezing.
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“This causes the melted ice cream to drip onto the lid where it has less chance of ruining the still-cold portion.”
Other advice shared to avoid freezer burn includes ensuring that the freezer temperature remains below zero degrees Fahrenheit.
They note: “If you want your pint to soften up a bit before eating, leave it on the counter for a few minutes rather than using the microwave, which zaps the ice cream’s delicate structure.”
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Additionally, you should keep it at the far back of your freezer drawer which “makes it harder for warm air to invade your ice cream every time you open the door”.
One of their more unusual recommendations is to serve the ice-cream using a large serrated knife, by cutting the tub lengthways and peeling off the packaging.
It reduces melt-time when serving, which is crucial because “when you refreeze partially melted ice cream, it fuels freezer burn and causes the crystals to re-grow in a bigger, crunchier, and even more diabolical form”.
