How Do You Know If Ice Cream Has Gone Bad?

Nothing says summer like a hearty helping of ice cream. Whether your preference is for soft serve, custard, sherbet, or something else, a cup or cone of frozen treat is a favorite way to beat the heat.

Often, it’s more economical and convenient to have a pint of Haagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry’s ready in the freezer—especially if you’re a midnight snacker. The only downside of keeping ice cream at home is that it can be difficult to tell if it’s still good after a while. Fortunately, there are ways to tell if ice cream is bad as well as steps you can take to keep it as fresh as possible for longer.

1. How Long Does Ice Cream Last in the Freezer?
2. Keeping Your Ice Cream Like New

How Long Does Ice Cream Last in the Freezer?

The main risk in old ice cream is bacterial contamination, especially if it was previously opened. Freezing ice cream slows bacterial growth—but it doesn’t actually kill the bacteria. This means that any thawing that occurs while you eat it gives those bacteria the chance to continue growing, causing the ice cream to go bad over time. So, unfortunately, it doesn’t last forever, even in the freezer.

This is especially true if ice cream is out of the freezer for an extended time. Because it’s dairy, leaving it out at over 40°F for more than two hours poses a serious danger of spoilage. Ice cream can have many of the same signs as milk gone bad, so it’s important to know what to look for.

Signs Ice Cream Has Gone Bad:
• A bloated carton
• A sour smell
• A dull color
• A sticky texture

Some contamination doesn’t exhibit any sign at all. For this reason, it’s often best to throw out ice cream past the expiration date once it’s been opened.

There is also a big difference between the shelf life of commercial ice cream and homemade ice cream. Commercial ice cream often has preservatives that can allow it to last in the freezer for about a year. Ice cream you’ve made yourself, or store-bought products that indicate on the carton they don't contain artificial preservatives, don’t last nearly as long. Southern Living consulted Sally Mengel, co-owner of a small handcrafted ice cream shop, about preservation and found that more natural versions last around three months.

Keeping Your Ice Cream Like New

There are ways to preserve your ice cream’s initial, creamy texture in the freezer after opening it, which hopefully means it all gets eaten before expiration is even an issue.

Because freezer burn is one of the most common and most unpleasant issues with saving opened ice cream, preventing it is key. Always making sure to close the lid tight is one easy step to keeping ice cream fresh. 

One surprising culprit that causes freezer burn is actually the tool many people use to scoop their ice cream: a warm spoon. The spoon is usually warmed using hot water, causing drops of moisture to potentially end up in the ice cream and refreeze into crunchy ice crystals. The warm utensil also melts the ice cream around it to get that perfectly smooth scoop; this is great in the moment, but can cause strange textural differences later where the melting occurred.

Similarly, any thawing at all of the ice cream disrupts its texture when it refreezes. To prevent unnecessary thawing, you can place your ice cream in the coldest part of the freezer, which is toward the middle in the back. The worst location for ice cream is the freezer door, which constantly gets exposed to the warmer outside air. 

Keeping ice cream fresh is key to enjoying its creamy, delicious flavor to the fullest. With just a little care, your favorite frozen treat will stay ready to delight.

Read More About Ice Cream: