topic Re: Is There A Better Way in Kitchen

Is There A Better Way

Desert Lily — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 16:53:23 GMT

I just spent over 20 minutes running hot water in 2 ice cream cartons to melt the ice cream down to liquid to pour down the drain and then toss the rinsed cartons. Glad they're done. I bought the ice cream in August, ate little, and wanted to throw the rest out. It seemed like such a waste of water, and then I had to sanitize the sink again.

I thought about putting the cartons with the ice cream in plastic bags and just throwing them out. But then I worried that when the recycle truck lifts the trash can to empty it, that melted ice cream could run out into the can and make a mess.

Isn't there a better way next time to get rid of leftover ice cream so I can toss the carton without worrying that it will leak & drip in the trash can?

(Besides eating it all LOL)

Re: Is There A Better Way

Kachina624 — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 16:57:54 GMT

Microwave it a few minutes to melt it, then down the drain.

Re: Is There A Better Way

Sweet Kitties — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 17:10:28 GMT

Maybe you could put the containers in the sink overnight. Then pour the liquid ice cream down the sink. I'd follow up with an enzyme drain cleaner afterwards to make sure there wasn't any fat build-up in your drains.

Re: Is There A Better Way

RedTop — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 17:12:07 GMT

I use a knife to cut the box away from the frozen block of ice cream, toss the paper, let the ice cream melt in the sink overnight, OR wait until trash day, throw the ice cream into a plastic grocery bag and throw into the last garbage bag going to the curb.

Re: Is There A Better Way

FranandZoe — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 17:17:14 GMT

I try to conserve water (all utilities) so I would have just let the carton sit in the sink 'til the ice cream melted.

Or similar to Red Top's suggestion just put the whole thing in a plastic garbage bag then in the garbage bag that goes in the trash can or bag.

Re: Is There A Better Way

Desertdi — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 17:15:04 GMT

Let the ice cream get soft enough to FLUSH down the toilet...

Re: Is There A Better Way

spumoni99 — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 17:28:32 GMT

@Sweet Kitties wrote:
Maybe you could put the containers in the sink overnight. Then pour the liquid ice cream down the sink. I'd follow up with an enzyme drain cleaner afterwards to make sure there wasn't any fat build-up in your drains.

This is what I do I let it melt overnight in the sink. I dont have much leftover ice cream with two 11 year old granddaughters over all the time though!

Re: Is There A Better Way

Desert Lily — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 18:28:54 GMT

Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions. : )

Re: Is There A Better Way

KatieB — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 19:49:31 GMT

Sit the cartons in the sink and allow ice cream to soften enough so that you can put contents down the drain.

Re: Is There A Better Way

tiny 2 — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 23:45:59 GMT

I never have leftover ice cream ...never

Re: Is There A Better Way

shoesnbags — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 02:02:39 GMT

@Desert Lily

I would have left the cartons in the sink overnight and then poured the melted ice cream down the drain the next day. But I don't understand why you had to "sanitize" the sink afterwards. The ice cream wasn't contaminated, just old, right? I would have just sprayed some water around to rinse out the sink.

Re: Is There A Better Way

Imaoldhippie — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:25:11 GMT

@Desert Lily ...........What a lot of work and worry you created for yourself. Just let it melt in the sink, pour it out and run water to rinse. Why sanitize?

Re: Is There A Better Way

Harpa — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:58:14 GMT

With liquidy things, or something like ice cream, I put in plastic bags that I've saved from the stores, and then into another sturdy plastic garbage bag.

You could buy smaller sizes of ice cream.

I'm only in the mood for ice cream very rarely, DH, too. So the best thing for us is to get the smaller sizes.

Re: Is There A Better Way

Desert Lily — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 14:49:39 GMT

Hi, my concern about the melted ice cream in the sink was that it could cause Listeria bacteria. I didn't think I could do a good enough job of just rinsing the sink, so after rinsing I sanitized.

Maybe I worry too much. From now on, I think I'll buy ice cream in a smaller size when I crave it.

Re: Is There A Better Way

River Song — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 00:01:35 GMT

@Desert Lily wrote:
Hi, my concern about the melted ice cream in the sink was that it could cause Listeria bacteria. I didn't think I could do a good enough job of just rinsing the sink, so after rinsing I sanitized.
Maybe I worry too much. From now on, I think I'll buy ice cream in a smaller size when I crave it.

Listeria can be present in unpasteurized foods. Listeria is killed by pasteurization. Commercially made ice cream is pasteurized so it was unnecessary to sanitize unless the ice cream was made with unpasteurized ingredients.

The only time I've thrown out ice cream was due to an extended power outage from, say, a hurricane. Ice cream does not go to waste in my house, lol.

Re: Is There A Better Way

ValuSkr — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 00:09:15 GMT

Just wondering - why did you discard perfectly good ice cream? You didn't like the flavors? Or you decided against the calories?

Re: Is There A Better Way

goldensrbest — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 12:29:55 GMT

Never found this to be a problem.

Re: Is There A Better Way

riley1 — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 19:30:49 GMT

I leave the cartons in the sink, when I ice cream is melted I pour down the drain.

Re: Is There A Better Way

shoesnbags — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 21:45:51 GMT

@River Song wrote:
@Desert Lily wrote:
Hi, my concern about the melted ice cream in the sink was that it could cause Listeria bacteria. I didn't think I could do a good enough job of just rinsing the sink, so after rinsing I sanitized.
Maybe I worry too much. From now on, I think I'll buy ice cream in a smaller size when I crave it.
Listeria can be present in unpasteurized foods. Listeria is killed by pasteurization. Commercially made ice cream is pasteurized so it was unnecessary to sanitize unless the ice cream was made with unpasteurized ingredients.

The only time I've thrown out ice cream was due to an extended power outage from, say, a hurricane. Ice cream does not go to waste in my house, lol.

@Desert Lily

This!

Re: Is There A Better Way

Desert Lily — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 14:34:54 GMT

@River Song There have been recalls due to Listeria in ice cream. In the past they included Blue Bunny, Baskin Robbins, Blue Bell, & Big Olaf. There may have been others. Ice cream can get listeria from factory conditions. And, melted ice cream is a "petri dish" for listeria to grow in.