Monday, April 23, 2007

Does Ice Cream Go Bad?

My husband claims that ice cream does not go bad.

I do not agree.

This conversation surfaced last night after I made strawberry shortcake. I said that we had some "ice cream" in the freezer to go with it, if he wanted to take a chance. I wasn't sure how long it was in there, but I thought I would offer. (He isn't much of a shortcake fan so I thought this would help.) He didn't understand why I would question the ice cream, "Ice cream doesn't go bad."

Then what do you call the ice crystals that form on the top? Why does Golden Vanilla turn a deeper shade of yellow the longer it sits? Why is the last bowl from a container so gooey? Milk spoils after a week of being open, so if ice cream is made from milk...?

We ate strawberry shortcake, and topped it with ice cream. It didn't look overly yellowed to me, so I thought I would chance it this time.

Tonight to further prove his point, Scott choked down an ice cream sandwich. Normally this is not a big deal, today - a somewhat questionable decision. I really have NO idea how long they have been in the freezer. Probably since the last frozen food month at Meijer (not the one in March, the one before that - 4 months ago?).

I told him that they did not need to be eaten, I was going to dump them. Scott would hear nothing of it.

The paper kind of peeled off, but only to reveal the layer of crystals. His comment, "Why do you pay extra for those special freezer bags? You should just wrap everything in paper, it works just fine. This ice cream looks great, just a little tan." Cream...Tan...same thing, right?! New...Old...I prove my point.

I asked if he was going to eat the rest of the box. He thought that he would since they haven't gone bad yet. Freezer burn, no such thing, my husband says "just protective nuggets."

"Just because it has a little ice on it, it isn't junk.
It's a freezer, it happens."

3 comments:

MiniMe Mom said...

Josh will east anything left in there, too. I think my taste buds are a little more discriminating:-)

Janna said...

Hmmm...not sure who I want to side with here! I can't throw away ice cream. It must be eaten! If you scrape off the ice crystals, it's perfectly fine!

But wait, that last gooey bowl is kind of nasty, and I do have trouble choking down a popsicle or ice cream sandwich that has reached the point of outer slime...

What a dilemma that I can't choose one opinion! I know how to solve my problem: I vow to never let my ice cream get to the point where I even have to question if it's too old.

Sonny Huisman said...

I 100% agree with you Angie! I, being an ice cream conesuer (sp? and expert), believe that ice cream has a shelf life of about two weeks . . . and even that might be pushing it!

#1: If ice cream is in the freezer, it should be eaten - not just sitting there dormant and lonely! It was meant to be enjoyed!

#2: Ice cream can only truly be enjoyed when it is fresh and has the flavor it was created to have!

#3: After a couple of weeks, not only does it get the crusty, nasty, freezer burn - not only does it's color begin to change - not only does it get slimey - it actually begins to taste like the freezer . . . or anything in like that lovely salmon fillet! Disgusting!

I'm dutch - don't get me wrong - I don't like to see money wasted . . . but rather than scraping off the nastiness to eat less than fresh ice cream . . . let's try eating it all before it goes bad!

It's the right thing to do!

If you can't eat it before it goes bad, then you should simply purchase a smaller size: move from the gallon bucket to a half gallon - move from a half gallon to a pint.

Pints are extra nice anyway, cuz you don't have to share them . . . you can just take that Hagen Das Coffee Ice Cream pint to the couch and eat it right from the carton - AHHHHHH! BLISS!

I'm sorry this comment is so long - but if there is one thing I'm passionate about, it's fresh, delicious, creamy, devine ice cream! MMMMM!