Tips For Handling, Transporting, And Storing Dry Ice

Food & Cooking Blog

If you want to make punch bowls that look like they are smoking at your next party, then you need to use dry ice. However, dry ice is not the same as ice made of water and requires special handling, transporting, and storing to keep you and your family safe. To this end, here is a list of tips to get the most out of your emergency ice purchase.

Tip: Always Use Gloves to Prevent Dry Ice Burns

Regular ice made of water freezes at zero degrees Fahrenheit. However, dry ice is made by freezing carbon dioxide gas and it freezes at -109 degrees Fahrenheit. As you can see, dry ice is a lot colder than regular ice and this excessive coldness will lead to frostbite burns if it comes into contact with your skin. For this reason, dry ice should always be handled while wearing gloves.

Tip: Keep Dry Ice Away from Children and Pets

If your child or pet puts a piece of dry ice in their mouth or against their skin, it will cause a serious burn. For this reason, you must keep dry ice away from your children and pets.

Tip: Don't Store Dry Ice in a Sealed Container 

Regular ice made of water melts into a puddle of water. However, dry ice made of carbon dioxide gas turns back into carbon dioxide gas as it melts. If you were to place an ice cube into a sealed container such as a water bottle, the ice will melt and leave behind water in the bottle. However, if you place a piece of dry ice into a closed water bottle, then the carbon dioxide gas will expand as the ice melts, and this will cause the container to blow up. For this reason, you should never put dry ice into a sealed container. The container should always remain open so that the gas can escape.

Tip: Buy Extra Because You Will Lose Some to Melting and Evaporation

When you purchase dry ice, you need to buy more than you will need for your party. Dry ice will start to melt as soon as you get it, so the extra will ensure you have enough for your punch bowls when the party starts.

Tip: Store it Properly in a Styrofoam Cooler Not Your Freezer

Finally, you should store the dry ice in a styrofoam cooler before your party. Never store dry ice in your freezer because it is an enclosed space, but also because the excessively cold dry ice will cause your freezer to turn off and can ruin your frozen food.

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6 August 2018

Teaching Your Kids To Cook

After I had kids, I realized that there were some serious issues with the way we were eating. We started enjoying healthier meals, but I still wanted to make the process fun and interesting for our children. To make things better, I started cooking with my kids instead of for my kids. It was really cool to watch their faces light up as we made pizza or learned more about how ice cream was really made. I decided to start a little website that centered around teaching kids to cook, because they can help in the kitchen too. I hope you enjoy these articles!