So, you want to make a cake for the kids. You went to the store, bought as much sour cream as possible, and went home. You check the expiry date and apparently it will expire soon. You ask yourself the big question; Can sour cream go bad?
You don’t yet know if you should throw them away or maybe they are good for use even past the date. The answer to this isn’t the most evident one. but we will make sure to answer it in the following article. Follow along to learn more about Sour cream storage, Shelf life, and how to tell if sour cream has gone bad or not. You won’t regret knowing all of this essential info.
Table of Contents
Does Sour Cream Go Bad?
Sour cream is a dairy product. You can already tell that Most dairy products do go bad. Sour cream is no exception, it’s just how long it takes for it to go bad that matters.
You can extend the shelf life of it by making sure it’s stored properly. but first, we need to know long does sour cream last.
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How Long Does Sour Cream Last?
The answer to this question is quite dependent on a lot of conditions, such as the storing conditions as well as the brand of the sour cream. However, we can give a general estimate of how long does sour cream lasts.
Unopened Sour Cream
You can use the best-by date as a way to tell how long unopened sour cream lasts. it can last beyond that date for 7 to 10 days with proper storage. but you might run the risk of it going bad.
Also, you need to take care that the product was well stored beforehand. as bad storage in the market will result in spoilage of the product before it even reaches the Sell-By Date.
Opened Sour Cream
Once you have opened your sour cream, you will need to make sure to store it well. According to Dasiy, sour cream lasts only 2 weeks since the date of opening it.
Take care that some people reported that their product lasts for up to a month, but I wouldn’t call this the usual as it can go worst much earlier than that.
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Sour Cream Shelf Life [Full Chart]
| Sour cream | Fridge |
|---|---|
| Unopened | + 1 – 2 weeks |
| Opened | 2 weeks |
How To Store Sour Cream?
Now we are moving to the most essential part of shelf life, storage. Proper storage can make or break your cream and either make it a nice meal or a complete disaster of food. learn how to store sour cream in the following lines.
Unopened sour cream packages
Once you get your package, make sure to move it to the fridge as soon as possible. Sour cream lasts longer in low temperatures.
Take note that you might want to put your sour cream inside the fridge, not in the door shelves as people do usually. This is because the door shelves tend to fluctuate in temperature rapidly, something your sour cream won’t like at all.
Opened sour cream
Opening your food package means it will be exposed to air and all of its contamination. Sour cream is a really good ground for bacterial growth, this is why sealing the package after opening is essential if you want to keep it for as long as possible.
If the seal of the original package doesn’t seem to be tight enough perhaps you should get an airtight container to ensure a good seal on your cream. Once sealed properly, put it in the fridge in the coldest part of it to ensure it can last longer.
Kitchen hygiene
You need to be careful especially with sour cream. This is because it can get contaminated easily, which is due to using kitchen utensils that would transfer some of the other ingredients (as well as bacteria) to the package of your diary This speeds up the process of spoilage rapidly.
If you will use sour cream as a dip, make sure to transfer some of the cream into another container to dip freely. avoid dipping directly into the container to keep your dip lasting as long as possible.
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Can You Freeze Sour Cream?
Maybe you have plenty of cream packages that you have stocked at home, and you believe you can’t possibly use all of them at the same time, and the idea of freezing them came to your mind.
Lets me first warn you that freezing dairy products is not recommended. this is because dairy products lose their consistency when thawed.
But if you insist, here is how to freeze it properly:
- Get an ice cube tray. We will use it to freeze as much as possible.
- Pour it inside the tray.
- Put it in the freezer a little bit until it fully freezes.
- Take the tray off of the freezer after the formation of ice cubes.
- Put the cubes into an airtight freezer container to use it whenever you need it in your kitchen.
Take note that the consistency won’t be as decent as freshly bought cream, you can whip the cream if you want to give it back it’s consistency, but kid you not it will never be as fresh sour cream.
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How To Tell If Sour Cream Has Gone Bad?
You might have a package of sour cream lying around that you have totally forgot about. You are unsure if it’s quality, you ask yourself; How do I know if it has gone bad?.
The signs of spoilage are plenty and easy to tell, here are some of them.
Looks
Once you open the package of your sour cream, you can detect right away if it has gone bad or not. Take a look at the top, Do you see any dark or green spots? If you do, discard the package immediately as it has spoiled.
Contrary to the popular belief, separation, and little bit of water on top is not a bad sign. You can drain the water and enjoy the tasty cup of your favorite dairy product.
However, if you find the whole container separated, and the water is floating on top and the rest is sediment. This is definitely a spoiled container that you must discard away.
Smell
The smell can be an amazing indicator of the quality. If you take a whiff and the smell feels rancid or stinky or generally unpleasant, your sour cream is spoiled and it should be discarded immediately.
Taste
Assuming that the looks and the smell are good, you should check for the taste. Trust your senses. If it tastes off or funky, discard it as soon as possible.
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Wrapping up
Sour cream is one precious food that we all love and appreciate, this is why knowing when it Does go bad and How long it lasts can make a big difference.
proper storage is also important which is why we explained How to store and freeze sour cream. Last but not least, telling spoiled sour cream from a good one can be truly helpful to protect you from poisoned food.
Got a burning question? we can hear you and answer you as soon as possible simply by leaving it in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
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