50 + Homemade Ice Block Recipes Perfect for Summer (2024)

FAQs

How do you make ice blocks for a cooler? ›

Introduction: Cooler Ice Blocks

All you need is gallon sized freezer bags. Fill the bags about 3/4 full so that when they lay flat they are about 2 inches thick. Place flat on a flat surface in the freezer. You can stack them two or three deep.

Ice cube trays work great for smaller blocks. Look through your recycling bin for larger containers that can make big brick-like blocks such as milk cartons, yogurt containers or old food storage containers. Anything that can hold water can be used as a block mold.

An extra-large mold is ideal for making ice blocks. Ice Block molds made by Ice Barrel are 5 inches tall, 6.75 inches wide and 11.5 inches long. Simply fill the mold with water (leaving some space at the top) and freeze in your home freezer until solid. This will make an ice block that's approximately 7 lbs.

Fill the cool box with as much ice as possible. A third full is ideal. Keep the air space to a minimum which helps maintain the temperature. Don't drain any melted ice as it will help insulate the remaining ice.

Almost all ice packs contain water and some amount of propylene glycol, a chemical commonly used to reduce the freezing temperature of water. It is commonly found in antifreeze and airplane de-icers.

However, the ice will only melt if there is enough salt present to lower the freezing point of the water. If you don't add enough salt, then the ice will simply stay frozen. So, if you're trying to make ice last longer, it's important to use enough salt.

Good insulators are materials that do not conduct or transfer energy well and keep your ice from melting. Things like polystyrene, bubble wrap and cotton wool are good insulators. Materials that are good conductors transfer energy quickly.

The 2 solid cubes of ice are not able to stick together because they are holding their shape. We added water to the surface of an ice cube and the cold temperature of the ice froze the water between the 2 ice cubes so it became one solid piece.

From the late 19th century to mid-20th century, in cities and towns icemen would commonly make daily rounds delivering ice for iceboxes before the electric domestic refrigerator became commonplace. Iceman and ice-wagon in Crowley, Louisiana, 1938. Many icemen in the Northeastern U.S. had origins in Southern Italy.

If there is a non-air block directly underneath the ice block, the ice becomes a water source block when broken. Ice also melts into water if the block light level immediately next to it on any side is higher than 11.

How do you make block ice without cracking it? ›

8 degrees will freeze it faster but too fast. Try 15 degrees then go 20 degrees then 25 degrees. Try slow it down by increasing the temperature. You will take longer to freeze your ice but it should reduce the cracking.

If you're looking for longer-lasting cooling, block ice is your go-to. It can keep your food cold in an insulated cooler for about 5-7 days, even in temperatures exceeding 90 degrees. In comparison, regular ice cubes will only keep your food cold for 1-2 days.

Smaller, cubed ice will chill a cooler and the contents more quickly, but block ice melts at a much slower rate. Most pros use a mix of both to chill contents and achieve long-term ice retention to keep their cooler cold the longest.