Is It Bad if a Spoon Is Left in Ice Cream in the Freezer?

It is not dangerous to leave a stainless steel spoon in ice cream, and the metal will not react with it. It is still a bad habit, for three practical reasons: a used spoon carries bacteria from your mouth into the tub, the lid cannot seal properly around it, and an unsealed tub gets ice crystals and freezer burn. Take the spoon out and seal the tub.

Here is what actually happens, and the better way to store an open tub.

Does a Metal Spoon React With Ice Cream?

No, not in any way you would notice. Ice cream is only very mildly acidic, since milk sits close to neutral, and stainless steel cutlery is made to be used with food. A stainless steel spoon left in a tub will not spoil the ice cream or change its taste.

The same goes for a plain metal spoon of another kind. The problem is not chemistry, it is everything else about leaving a used spoon in the tub.

Why Is a Used Spoon a Problem?

If you have eaten from the spoon and put it back, you have added saliva and mouth bacteria to the rest of the tub. In the freezer they are mostly dormant, but they start multiplying again when the ice cream softens at the edges or thaws on the bench.

Listeria is the one worth knowing about. It can survive freezing, and it can grow again once the ice cream warms up (source: Michigan State University). That is mostly a concern for pregnant women, older people and anyone with a weakened immune system. If you are the only person eating the tub it is a small risk, but it is a bigger one if it is shared.

Does a Spoon Stop the Lid Closing?

Yes, and this is the real downside. With a spoon sticking out, the lid sits loosely or not at all. Air gets in, moisture in the ice cream forms larger ice crystals and the surface dries out, which is freezer burn. The ice cream is still safe to eat, but it turns gritty and loses flavour.

Will the Spoon Freeze Into the Ice Cream?

It will. Left in overnight, the spoon freezes solid in the tub and is hard to pull out without chipping the ice cream or bending the handle. A plastic spoon is worse, because the cold makes it brittle and it can snap in the tub.

What Is the Best Way to Store an Open Tub?

• Take the spoon out and use a clean one next time. Scoop into a bowl instead of eating from the tub.
• Wipe the rim so the lid seals without ice around it.
• Press baking paper or cling film flat on the surface before closing the lid, which cuts down on ice crystals.
• Keep it at the back of the freezer, where the temperature is steadier than on the door.