How Long Is Sour Cream Good After Sell By Date?

Everyone has sour cream stacked in their pantry or refrigerator. And if you still have a tin of sour cream opened but unused in your fridge. I’m sure you’re probably wondering how long that’s going to last.

There are plenty of things that can spoil sour cream. Bacteria and molds and you’ll see signs of this immediately. So if you want to know how long is sour cream good for sell-by date. You’ve come to the right place to find accurate information.

This article talks about the freshness of sour cream and its expiration period. And how to look for signs that your sour cream has gone bad? And what to do to keep it fresh for longer?

So if I were you, I’d definitely read what follows next.

How Long Is Sour Cream Fresh?

The shelf life of sour cream – whether opened or unopened – is the same. It’s good for up to 3 weeks or 21 days after the sell-by date.

Did you think that answers your question? There’s more to know about keeping sour cream fresh than you think.

How to Store Sour Cream?

The food quality and handling of sour cream are affected by its expiration date. There is a specific way you’re supposed to store sour cream in the fridge to avoid spoilage.

For example, sour cream should be stored at 40 F in the fridge. Make sure the container is properly sealed so no air or moisture goes inside the container. The reason why you have to be super careful with sour cream is that it’s a milk-based food item.

Milk is prone to bacteria, fungus, and mold. The proteins and sugars in milk pave the way for a host of good and bad bacteria in sour cream. The good bacteria keep the sour cream fresh-smelling and stomach-friendly. But the bad bacteria is what causes the sour cream to spoil easily.

Factors like temperature, exposure to air, or moisture can speed up the spoilage. If you keep sour cream at room temperature, it will spoil quicker. So make sure you keep the sour cream in the fridge as soon as you buy it. And that it’s kept away air and moisture particles at all times.

When you keep sour cream in the fridge, make sure it’s not out in the open. A fridge is something that everybody in the household uses multiple times per day. So the constant opening and closing of the fridge door can cause temperature fluctuations.

When you keep sour cream in the front, it, too, is exposed to these fluctuations. This may affect the freshness of the food.

To avoid this, keep the sour cream somewhere at the back or at the bottom of the shelves.

I’ve seen the following question everywhere.

Can You Store Sour Cream In the Freezer?

Well, yes and no. Any milk product including buttermilk should not be stored in the freezer. This includes sour cream.

The reason being that once milk thaws, it’s going to separate. However, if you’re using sour cream in cooking or baked recipes. Then it’s okay to keep sour cream in the freeze.

A healthy tip to make sure it doesn’t separate is to constantly whip the cream to maintain consistency and texture. Do this gently as soon as the cream starts thawing. This will keep the sour cream smooth and healthy.

How Does Sour Cream Go Bad?

You’re looking for signs to tell when sour cream is rotten and spoiled. This will help you.

It’s possible that sour cream may spoil even before the expiry date. So it’s best to look out for signs that tell you when it’s time to throw away the sour cream.

Mold

If there’s mold growing on the surface of the cream. Or around the inner lid and sides. Then this means that the sour cream has gone bad. Do not scoop the moldy part and think that the rest of the sour cream is fresh.

Once mold appears even if it’s a tiny patch, this means the entire product is rotten.

Odor

A rancid and strong smell of vinegar. Or if the sour cream is stinkier than usual. Anything “off” with regards to smell is the best way to know that the sour cream has gone bad.

You may not see any mold or discoloration in the sour cream. But if it stinks, it’s time to throw it out.

Discoloration

Sour cream can go bad in many ways. Yellowish patches and discoloration are two of them. If the sour cream no longer looks white, it has developed bacteria and fungus. You may not notice this in the dark. So it’s best to go to the brightest source of light to check whether the sour cream has gone bad.

Conclusion

Everything you need to know about sour cream and its quality is right here. The shelf of life of sour cream can be lengthened by proper care. And after the sell-by date, you can consume certain types of sour cream for up to 3 weeks.

To make sure that sour cream stays fresh during these weeks, that’s what you need to know. And this article tells you everything about it.

Do not leave sour cream at room temperature. Do not store it in the fridge close to the fridge’s door. And do seal the lid of the sour cream properly to avoid exposure to air. Lastly, you can also store sour cream in the freezer if you want to use it for baking or cooking.

Once you’ve opened a jar of sour cream, keeping it fresh and smooth is your responsibility. Although there are some sour cream products that have a shorter expiry date. Some last for a couple of days while others last for 2-3 entire weeks.

A good tip to buying sour cream is to look at the number of preservatives in the ingredients list. Sour cream is often used as a salad dressing or as a dip. You can also buy the smallest portion available if you know there’s going to be leftovers.