Q&A for How to Use Dry Ice in a Cooler

Gel cook packs are nowhere near cold enough to keep dry ice from evaporating, so I’ll say no, you can’t use them to prevent evaporation.

Liquid nitrogen is your best answer. Keep the dry ice in a sealed container that has the nitrogen cooling it.

It is quite pricey at $1 to $3 a pound, meaning that a block can be around $60 to $100, depending on its size. You can bring down the costs if you buy it in bulk. For more help, see How to Buy Dry Ice .

You can, but there isn't really any need to, if you're already using dry ice. Dry ice is colder than regular ice.

Clean the berries. Wash them if washable, pat dry then they are ready for blast freezing (blast freezing is recommended to retain structure). I would recommend using liquid nitrogen to blast freeze berries for a better result but you can use dry ice as well. Use a well insulated container, like a portable Styrofoam cooler or any container you would use to store ice, then crush some dry ice. Warning! Handle dry ice or liquid nitrogen with care! Put a layer of crushed dry ice at the bottom of container, then add a thin single layer of berries, then again add crushed dry ice. Keep repeating layer on layer, topping off with dry ice.

You can slow down its sublimation but it won't stay ice forever. If you intend to keep it for long time, then you will need a well insulated cold container with a pressure vent, just like the one used by veterinary doctors to transport sperms frozen inside liquid nitrogen.