Ice cream is the real MVP. Through breakups, finals, and celebrating, ice cream always pulls through. That’s not to say there aren’t a few downsides that comes with this frozen treat. How annoying is it to get a whole arm workout in just to scoop ice cream that’s basically solid? Or when it’s 10 thousand degrees outside and your cone starts dripping. All these problems, and more, can easily be fixed with these six ice cream hacks.
1. Keep your ice cream carton in a zipper sealed bag
Make sure to press all the air out of the bag. This will make sure that ice cream doesn’t touch the air, keeping it softer. You can then take your ice cream right out of the freezer and it will be ready for scooping immediately. Adiós freezer burn!
2. Put a mini marshmallow at the bottom of your waffle cone to keep it from leaking
The only downside to eating ice cream on a hot day is how messy it can get. The mini marshmallow will act like a sugary plug to keep your sweet treat from dripping out the bottom of the pointy cone. Plus, you’ll have a little surprise in your last bite. Talk about a win-win.
3. Scoop some ice cream into that almost empty peanut butter or Nutella jar
Nothing is more annoying than having one spoonful of peanut butter or Nutella left. It’s not enough to really put on anything, but you def don’t want to throw it away and waste it. The solution? Throw some vanilla ice cream into a jar and stir. You’re welcome.
4. Store your pint upside-down
Freezer burn can totally destroy perfectly good ice cream. To avoid this, store it upside down. Also, don’t forget to avoid storing it in the door at all costs—the melting and re-freezing is like poison to your pint.
5. Run a knife under hot water and cut the ice cream for easy scooping
Ice cream scoops are so 2000-and-late. Slicing your ice cream with a hot knife is the way to go. If you can’t let go of your precious scoops, you can try running your scooper under hot water to avoid breaking your wrist when scooping ice cream.
6. Make your own ice cream sandwiches
Don’t just settle for ice cream by itself. Cut your pint—cardboard and all—into four even slices. Just like that, you’ve got the perfect portion to sandwich between two freshly baked cookies. Insomnia who?
Let’s be honest. We simply would not be able to make it through college or the summer or really anything without ice cream. With these ice cream hacks, nothing can stop you from enjoying your fave treat.