Ice Cream storage

How long will it last, and what do you guys think is the best way to store ice cream?

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There are few things to consider when storing ice creams. Fats can still go bad, or absorb flavors so they should be tightly sealed. This also helps with evaporation and surface ice. Colder is better for ice cream when it comes to storage. Manufactureuers store and transport in well below -20c systems. But serving should be around -5c. This is so ice crystals stay small and do not continue to grow. if they do, the ice cream will have an icey mouth feel as well as appearance.

trev_teich

So freeze and then cyro vac?

Chris_Young_80640

I don't think cryovac is necessary, just well-sealed. For very deep storage, like what a commercial manufacturer would do, you want to get the ice cream below the so-called glass transition temperature. For ice cream, this temperature is around -40 °C / -40 °F. At this temperature, any water is either an ice crystal or it's sugar water that's so cold that it behaves like a solid glass. This prevents ice crystals from growing larger over time.

Few people have a freezer that goes to near cryogenic temperatures. So, the next best thing is as cold as possible (usually around -20 °C) and avoid freeze-thaw cycles of auto-defrost in modern freezers. Freeze-thaw cycles do a lot of damage to ice cream over a period of weeks and months. Chest freezers usually do not have these auto-defrost cycles, and they do the best job of storing ice cream for the long haul.

Sumit__65166

the other trick is to portion ice cream in multiple containers, and they way you limit ice crystals.
i found glass containers ie pyrex and anchor do better job than plastic containers. i keep dedicated containers for ice cream.

i understand glucose and alcohol as another way to minimise ice crystal but i've never used it.

i try and finish ice cream in a week, and max 2 but if i've any leftover i use it for afagato, and melt the custard for french toast.