3 Clever Tips To Keep Your Popsicles Frozen In A Cooler

Two summer staples that are hard to beat are picnics and eating popsicles, but getting these two warm-weather traditions to work together isn't all that easy. Heat and frozen treats aren't really all that compatible, but we're here with a few tips and tricks. These will let you take your dessert al fresco without worrying if your store-bought popsicles, whether old-school bargain ice pops or high-end fruit bars, are going to end up a blobby mess at the bottom of your cooler before you get a chance to enjoy them.

The secret, unsurprisingly, is keeping your popsicles as cold as possible. For that, you'll need an insulated cooler and ice, but that's just the starting gate. The techniques we're going to explore include burying the popsicles in ice or sticking them in a separate thermos before storing them in a cooler. The third technique entails pre-chilling your cooler before you head out to make sure it's as cold as can be.

Burying your popsicles in an ice-filled cooler seems like a pretty simple idea, but there are a few tips for this trick that you should keep in mind. Because cold air sinks, the bottom of the cooler is the coldest spot inside. First, make a base layer of ice at the bottom to lay your popsicles on. Place them flat on the ice without overlapping, and then add more ice until they're completely covered. If you keep the cooler out of the sun, your popsicles should stay frozen until it's time for dessert.

Another trick to guarantee that your popsicles stay frozen involves using a thermos as an extra layer of insulation. To use this hand-dandy trick, just place your popsicles into the thermos, add as much ice as the vessel will hold, and replace the thermos cap. Toss it into an ice-filled cooler with the rest of your food, and you're good to go. (It's worth noting that freezer pops, because of their long, thin shape, seem to work best for this hack.)

Here's a bonus hack: Similar to the thermos trick above, in a pinch you could use the tumbler from an ice cream maker to keep your popsicles frozen. Many ice cream makers have a double-walled insulated tumbler that can be removed. Since it was literally made to freeze ice cream, this tumbler is perfect for keeping popsicles at their optimum temperature. Simply add the popsicles to the tumbler with some ice and place it in your cooler.

Since all these tips involve using a cooler, let's explore one way to make sure it stays as cold as possible. This trick takes a little planning but fortunately not a lot of leg work. The night before your picnic, simply place your cooler in a room-temperature spot in your home and fill it with ice. The next day, pour out any accumulated water and refill it with more ice. The cooler will stay cold longer, and your popsicles should remain frozen until you're ready to eat them. Now, go out and enjoy some nature — and a frozen treat to go with it.