Does Ice Cream Really Ever Expire? Here's What You Should Know

As the saying goes, "all good things must come to an end." Sweet-toothed ice cream lovers, we come with unfortunate news: that long-standing resident of the lowest freezer shelf is not immortal. Wish away, but ice cream tubs come with a ticking countdown to ultimate expiry — we've probably just been eating it too quickly to notice.

Left unopened, the frozen dessert will last its longest. Expect an average freezer life of 2 to 4 months for unopened ice cream, but halve that once that lid has been cracked and scoops have been snuck. Importantly, while bacterial growth is rare in frozen goods, it's not impossible, especially if an opened tub has melted slightly on the countertop before refreezing. Remember that the secret to this dessert lasting longer is the preservatives, too; homemade ice cream typically lasts at most a month. After these markers, tubs begin to deteriorate. Think brittle crystallization, discoloration, and an "off" flavor or odor. Not the ideal sweet treat on a Friday night.

Don't be too disappointed, though. When ice cream was stored before modern refrigeration, affluent families had to install expensive ice pits to keep their ice cream lasting longer. Poorer families would never have managed the 2 to 4 months that we achieve today — we're still living in an ice cream "golden age."

If "all good things come to an end," we can certainly drag them out a little. Some claim that ice cream can last up to a year, notably surpassing that four-month cut-off point. The distinction here is quality deterioration versus inedibility: everyone's standards are different.

Learning the best ways to store your ice cream in the freezer is the golden ticket to extending that window. The biggest kicker is freezer burn; delay that, and you might be onto a winner. Always choose an airtight container, store the tub in the coolest spot at the back of the freezer, and flip it upside down (yes, really: drips of ice cream refreeze as an extra barrier against oxygen). In a desperate bid to keep ice cream perfectly scoopable, some savvy people even place the containers in zip-lock bags. Nobody wants thickened layers of ice crystals or a disgustingly grainy texture. Keep the tub airtight and minimize temperature fluctuations.

Similarly, what you store your ice cream next to actually matters — avoid cozying tubs next to stinky foods, like packets of fish fingers. Happy to enjoy scoops of vanilla while holding your nose? Go ahead. However, odor contamination is a thing, and selectively choosing your favorite ice cream's "freezer neighbor" is the best approach for making it last. These smaller choices add up. Forget survival of the fittest; ice cream is the survival of the best-stored.