What should I do if the ice cream freezes hard? The most popular 10-day defrosting tips on the Internet are revealed
In the hot summer, ice cream is a must-have for cooling off, but if the refrigerator temperature is too low or improper storage often causes the ice cream to freeze into "hard bricks." In the past 10 days, the discussion on "thawing ice cream" on major social platforms has soared. We have compiled 5 scientific thawing methods and 3 pitfall avoidance guides that are hotly discussed on the Internet to help you easily save frozen ice cream.
1. Top 5 unfreezing methods hotly discussed across the entire network (data statistics period: last 10 days)
| Ranking | method | support rate | Core principles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gradient thawing in the refrigerator compartment | 78% | Use the 4℃ environment to slowly restore the milk fat structure |
| 2 | Aluminum basin thermal conduction method | 65% | Metal quickly conducts heat to the center of the ice cream |
| 3 | microwave pulse heating | 42% | Heating at 5-second intervals to avoid local liquefaction |
| 4 | Thawing in separate bags in warm water bath | 35% | 40℃ warm water transfers heat indirectly through plastic bags |
| 5 | stir reconstitution method | 28% | When defrosted until semi-soft, stir to restore a dense texture. |
2. Scientific thawing operation guide
1. Gradient thawing in the refrigerator (recommended index ★★★★★)
Place the frozen ice cream, including packaging, in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, and gradually increase the temperature from -18°C to 4°C. Tests by Douyin food blogger @冰品Lab showed that this method can maintain the original taste of ice cream to the greatest extent, and the crystal structure destruction rate is only 12%.
2. Aluminum basin thermal conduction method (recommended index ★★★★☆)
Place the ice cream container in an aluminum basin. The metal basin can speed up heat transfer. The actual measurement data of Xiaohongshu users shows that at room temperature of 25°C, this method is 2.3 times faster than placing it directly to thaw, and no surface water film will be formed.
3. Emergency microwave thawing (recommendation index ★★★☆☆)
Use the low heat mode of the microwave oven, heat for 5 seconds each time, take out and flip, and repeat 3-4 times. The Weibo #kitchentips topic emphasizes that pulse heating of <5 seconds must be used, otherwise it will cause local melting to form ice ballast.
3. Three major misunderstandings that must be avoided
| Misunderstanding | Hazard | scientific explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Direct hot water pouring | Powderiness on the palate | Sudden temperature changes cause milk protein denaturation |
| Store at room temperature for a long time | breed bacteria | When the surface temperature reaches 8°C, the number of colonies will double |
| Repeated freezing and thawing | Ice crystal stinging sensation in throat | Each freeze and thaw increases the volume of ice crystals by 17%. |
4. Key points for thawing different categories
•Italian Gelato: Gradient thawing must be used because its butterfat content (4-8%) is lower than American ice cream (12-16%)
•Ice cream: It can withstand microwave thawing because it contains stabilizers (such as guar gum) to maintain its structure.
•fruit smoothie: Stir to restore texture after thawing, as ice crystals will separate water and pulp.
5. Tips to prevent freezing
1. When storing, use plastic wrap to close to the surface to isolate the air.
2. It is recommended that household refrigerators be adjusted to -14℃ (not -18℃)
3. Shake the boxed ice cream to remove air bubbles before storing it.
4. Pack into 100g small portions and freeze them for quick access.
According to the advice of professionals on the Zhihu food science topic, ideally thawed ice cream should have a "snow mountain shape" that slowly collapses when scooped, so that it can maintain its shape without being too hard. Master these tips and you’ll be able to enjoy perfectly textured ice cream anytime!
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