Eli5: Why does melted ice cream turn solid when put into the freezer but unmelted ice cream remains at the “ice cream” consistency?

Question

Eli5: Why does melted ice cream turn solid when put into the freezer but unmelted ice cream remains at the “ice cream” consistency?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

Air. When you make ice cream there is a certain amount of air added during the mixing process. When it melts completely, that air is lost and it refreezes at a different consistency.