Ice cream that sits in a cupboard, doesn't melt in your hand and crunches sounds like a joke. But that's exactly what freeze-dried ice cream is, often called astronaut ice cream.
Why doesn't it melt? 🍦
Regular ice cream melts because it contains a lot of water, which turns from ice to liquid in the warmth. In a freeze dryer that water is removed: first the ice cream freezes, then under vacuum the ice evaporates without turning into liquid. What's left is a dry, porous structure of milk, sugar and fat. There's nothing to melt, so the ice cream keeps its shape at room temperature.
What does it taste like? 😋
At first it crunches like meringue, then it melts in your mouth and tastes like regular ice cream. It's dry rather than cold, though, which surprises people the first time.
Is it really astronaut food? 🚀
Freeze-dried food has long been associated with spaceflight, because it's light and keeps for a long time. Astronaut ice cream, however, became popular mainly as a souvenir from museums and science centres. Today it's simply a fun dessert.
How should I store it? 🔒
Don't put it in the freezer or fridge. It's humid in there, and moisture makes freeze-dried ice cream go soft. Keep it in a closed bag in a dry place. More in our guide on how to store freeze-dried sweets.
Which ice creams do we have? 🍓
See our freeze-dried strawberry ice cream sandwich and the whole freeze-dried ice cream collection.