eli5 Why is freshly opened ice cream so easy to scoop, but after it’s put back and eaten again, it’s rock hard?

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I hope this makes sense. When I first open my ice cream the spoon scoops through like butter. Yet when I get some the next day I have to let it thaw or heat my spoon. Even though it’s at the same temperature in the freezer as before it was opened.

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4 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

It’s because the ice cream “sweats” while you are scooping the first bowl m, then the water crystals freeze over the top when you put it back in the freezer.

Anonymous 0 Comments

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Anonymous 0 Comments

It’s because ice cream can’t be re-chilled. Once it’s out of the freezer, it can’t go back. That’s why all ice cream is sold in single serving containers.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Ice cream is soft because it has a lot of cream and air pockets which prevent water from forming large, hard ice crystals. However, when you take it out of the freezer, some of the ice melts. This water can fill up the air pockets, and then when you refreeze it, it forms larger, harder ice crystals than before. Ice cream that has a higher fat content and lower air content will be more resistant to this.