Cool Things to Do With Your Extra Dry Ice

Food & Cooking Blog

If you use dry ice for various purposes, or even if you just receive some in the mail with some frozen food, then you might be wondering what you should do with any remaining, extra dry ice. You could, of course, just set it on the counter and watch it slowly evaporate into a big cloud of fog. But here are a few more creative things to try.

Make Giant Bubbles

This one is especially entertaining if there are kids around. Mix a generous squeeze of dish soap into a cup of warm water, and then drop in a little chunk of the dry ice. (Make sure you do this in the sink or outdoors where you do not mind making a mess.) Watch as the carbon dioxide forms giant bubbles that come pouring over the sides of the cup. The narrower the cup you use, the further the bubbles will travel.

Inflate Balloons

Who really enjoys blowing up balloons? It makes you feel out of breath and tired. You can fill a balloon in a far more entertaining way by using dry ice. Just break off a tiny chunk (using tongs, of course — do not touch it directly with your hands) and put it inside a balloon. Tie the balloon off. As the dry ice warms and expands into a gas, the balloon will fill up with that gas. It might take you a few tries to get the right size piece of dry ice to fill the balloon adequately without popping it.

Create a Low-Key Explosion

This is an experiment to do outside and with caution. Place a piece of dry ice inside a plastic container. Quickly put the lid on, and back away. Within a few minutes, the carbon dioxide becomes a gas and expands and the lid will blow off the container in a low-key explosive way that is so much fun to watch.

Make a Spooky Jack-o-Lantern

If it's Halloween season, or if you just want to have some Halloween-style fun at another time of year, carve a pumpkin. Put a chink of dry ice inside, and then put the top back on your carved pumpkin. Fog will come out of the Jack-o-Lantern's eyes, nose, and mouth in a fun, yet spooky way.

There are so many cool things to do with dry ice! Give the ideas above a try, and see which one is your favorite.

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8 December 2020

Delicious, Nutritious Berries

I absolutely adore sweet, tasty berries. I especially like strawberries and blueberries. Do you desperately desire to eat more fresh foods this spring and summer? Consider stocking up on colorful berries when you visit your local supermarket or farmer’s market. Berries are packed with health benefiting antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber. In addition to eating them by the handful, you can incorporate them into many of your favorite snacks or entrees. For instance, top a cup of plain, Greek yogurt with berries. Put them in fruit, green, or chicken salads. Use berries to make smoothies. On this blog, I hope you will discover ingenious tips to help you eat healthier during the warm weather months. Enjoy!