8 Tips for Scooping and Storing Ice Cream

While getting any scoop of ice cream from container to eating vessel relatively intact is a triumph in its own right, there are simple tricks you can do to ensure maximum deliciousness. Neal Gottlieb, founder of Three Twins Ice Cream, should know; since 2005, he’s been building a name for his brand, which is innovating the organic ice cream trade with its homegrown approach and a host of deliciously unique flavors (think banana nut confetti, lemon cookie, and cardamom). Gottlieb shared a handful of tips on how to get the most out of your next carton.

1. GET WET.

To get the best scoop, “Wet the ice cream scooper with room temperature water,” suggests Gottlieb. “This keeps the ice cream from sticking to the scooper and allows for a nice smooth, gliding scoop.”

2. LEFTIES AND RIGHTIES SHOULD SCOOP DIFFERENTLY.

“Right-handers should scoop clockwise from the edge of the container,” advises Gottlieb. “Left-handers should scoop counter-clockwise from the edge of the container.”

3. START AT THE EDGE.

“Ice cream softens from the outside to the inside, so the best place to start scooping is from the edges,” explains Gottlieb, who also cautions that you “always want to avoid having the melted ice cream on the outside fall onto the still frozen ice cream in the middle.”

4. CHUNKY FLAVORS ARE HARDER TO SCOOP.

It’s a fact, according to Gottlieb: “Any ice cream that has chunks will stay frozen longer and is more difficult to scoop.” Which doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try!

5. GELATO HAS ITS OWN RULES.

Though the terms “ice cream” and “gelato” are sometimes used interchangeably, they’re not the same thing. And as such, “gelato has a different scooping path,” says Gottlieb. “We recommend scooping in a straight line (not circular motion).”

6. FLIP YOUR PINT TO KEEP IT FRESH.

Even the most seasoned scooper could run into problems if he or she isn’t following the best practices for ice cream storage. And Gottlieb has got some advice in that department, too. “Though there’s not a whole lot that can be done to save a pint of ice cream after the ice crystals form, it is easy to tackle the problem before it starts,” he says. “The easiest way to avoid this is by not letting the ice cream melt in the first place, as freezer burn occurs when melted ice cream refreezes and oxygen gets into the pint. So, basically what we are saying is that you should just finish off your pint of ice cream in one sitting (no shame).” If that suggestion goes against all of your diet rules, the next best option is “flipping the pint over in the freezer, that way the melted ice cream will drip onto the lid and refreezing can be avoided.”

7. SHOOT FOR EIGHT BELOW.

This one’s easy enough: “The ideal temperature to store ice cream is –8 degrees,” states Gottlieb.

8. IGNORE THE DOOR.

Sure, shoving a container of ice cream back into the freezer door might be the easiest option, but Gottlieb says that’s a “big no-no.” Instead, he suggests storing “ice cream at the back of the freezer. Because temperature varies so wildly, the back of the freezer is the ideal spot for your sweet treat.”