How, Exactly, Do You Keep Popsicles Frozen In A Cooler?

Popsicles, whether store-bought or homemade, are a fun summertime dessert that's eminently suitable for eating outdoors — that way, any drips wind up in the grass (for which the ants thank you). In order to enjoy them, though, you need to ensure they stay frozen. What if you're a Little League parent tasked with bringing snacks for the team, and the game goes into extra innings? Does that mean popsicles are a no-go? Well, not necessarily, assuming you've got a cooler and know how to pack it.

For starters, if your cooler is very small or you have access to a walk-in freezer, chill the cooler for a few hours while it's empty. Once you're ready to pack it, cover the bottom with ice then put the popsicles on top. Add more ice so they're buried, then, if necessary, add more ice and popsicles, finishing off with ice. The reason this helps is because the entire surface area of the popsicles will be chilled if there's ice on all sides. You should also make sure that the cooler is packed with ice so there'll be less room for warm air to get in when you open the lid. Finally, cover that cooler. An insulated blanket or even a purpose-made cooler cover would be great, although the latter seems to be made mostly for larger ice chests. Even a wet towel can provide some insulation for a smaller cooler.

If you want to keep popsicles as cold as possible, you could always purchase dry ice — yes, the same stuff used to make Halloween punch look like a witch's cauldron. About 10 pounds of dry ice per 15 inches of cooler space is recommended, and you'll need to wrap it in towels or newspaper since it's cold enough to damage the plastic and can be painful to touch. For all the hassle associated with dry ice, though, it may stay frozen for 18 hours or more, so there's that. Still, a cheaper, less risky alternative would be to salt the water used to make ice cubes. Brine freezes at a lower temperature than plain water, so salty ice cubes might last somewhat longer than regular ones.

Another way to keep popsicles extra cold is to pack them with ice in lidded tumblers. Tumblers alone can't take the place of a cooler but will allow for an extra layer of insulation. Our favorite budget-friendly popsicle preservation hack, however, involves choosing the right type of popsicles. Ice pops — the kind in the long plastic sleeves — may melt more slowly than popsicles on sticks thanks to a smaller surface area, but the best thing about them is that even when they do melt, all the mess is contained. Using this simple ice pop hack, cut a slit in the end, tear off the top, then drink the slushy stuff straight from the tube.