The Blender-Free Milkshake Hack You Need

It's easy to appreciate how refreshing a milkshake can be on a hot summer day. There are endless ways to customize this treat using different ice cream flavors. Plus, making a homemade milkshake only requires a few simple ingredients (like milk and ice cream) to be combined in a blender or food processor. But there's an even easier way to make delicious shakes at home, without having to use an electrical appliance. Simply grab a Mason jar with a lid from your cabinet. You'll want to add your ice cream to the jar without the metal lid (as metal and microwaves are not a great pairing). Then, nuke the frozen dessert until it's mushy and soft. 

Most Mason jars are microwave-safe, meaning that the glass is tempered to reduce the risk of shattering, and more recent iterations of Mason jars will have a microwave-safe seal on them. Since the glass may be hot when you pull it from the microwave, be sure to take care and use protective equipment, such as oven mitts or a potholder, to remove it. Once your jar is out, pour in your milk and add-ins of choice, put the lid back on, give the jar a good shake, and voila! You'll have a milkshake at your fingertips; one that's super easy to plop a straw into and sip straight from the vessel it was made in.

The important thing to know about this Mason jar shake hack is that it only works if you're using softened ice cream — not ice cream that's rock-hard. Otherwise, you'll risk your milkshake coming out with a single clump of ice cream in the center, and your add-ins (like cookie pieces or syrup) not distributing well.

There are several ways to soften your ice cream rather than resorting to your microwave. To evenly soften your ice cream without melting it completely, try transferring it to your refrigerator about 20 minutes before you're ready to get your shake on. You can also soften ice cream much faster by scoring it with a hot knife. Breaking the ice cream into smaller pieces will increase its surface area, and thus its exposure to the air. Your knife doesn't have to be that hot either; just run it under warm water for a few minutes before slicing 1-inch slices through the top of your ice cream.