Unopened, your sour cream may last up to three weeks beyond the sell-by date if stored in optimal conditions, but once opened, you should consume it within seven to ten days.
Sour cream is cream from cows that has been fermented, similar to yogurt , and mixed with lactic acid bacteria to cause artificial souring. Although it has some sour flavors, it has not actually gone bad. Your sour cream will either come with a printed sell by, best by or use by date.
These recommendations apply only to sour cream that has been consistently stored in the fridge. If left at room temperature, you only have a matter of hours before bacteria rapidly multiplies. Sour cream is the perfect environment for bacteria and mold to grow. Even when refrigerated, these will develop over time. Homemade sour cream has a limited shelf life. Sour cream made with pasteurized milk keeps well for one to two weeks in the fridge.
This table is a rough estimate assuming that sour cream is kept under ideal conditions. Its actual shelf life can be shorter or longer, mostly depending on how well you store sour cream. Freezing sour cream has its pros and cons. Like coconut cream and other dairy products, freezing sour cream causes an irreversible separation of the cream. Hence, producers are always against this idea, such as Kraft and Daisy Foods. At room temperature, both spoilage and food-pathogenic bacteria multiply very quickly.
USDA recommends not to leave perishable foods outside the refrigerator longer than 2 hours. Spoiled sour cream is not appetizing to eat. But, if sour cream is also contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, you can get food poisoning. The symptoms vary depending on the source of contamination, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, etc. If you have severe signs of food poisoning, you should see a doctor before it gets worse.
Sour cream is one of the perishable foods that need constant refrigeration. Otherwise, it gets spoiled easily when left out at room temperature. Allow one or two weeks maximum to use sour cream if you have unopened tubs. Of course, this is only applicable when storage guidelines are followed, and spoilage symptoms are not evident. Otherwise, sour cream may also go bad if not well kept even before its time. Discard it if you notice any spoilage signs, such as off-smell, unpleasant taste, discolorations, and molds.
Pin 7. Table Of Contents. Can you freeze sour cream? In short, you should put it in the fridge as soon after purchasing as possible. A tight seal also prevents drying out and keeps any strong odors at bay. That means you should always use clean utensils when scooping sour cream and never double-dip. If you ever need another teaspoon or two for a recipe, just grab a clean spoon or wash the used one.
Most manufacturers advise against freezing sour cream. Like buttermilk and many other dairy products, sour cream separates once thawed. Similar thing for using thawed sour cream in baking. When it comes to how to freeze sour cream, consider using an ice cube tray. This way you can easily thaw as much or as little as you need. Plus the frozen cubes end up in a freezer bag, which takes much less space in the freezer than an airtight container. Just remember to leave an inch of headspace, as the sour cream slightly expands when frozen.
Like other milk-based products, sour cream comes with a sell-by date.
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