How Long Is Sour Cream Good for After Opening?
Have you ever discovered a tub of opened sour cream sitting at the back of your fridge and wondered, "How long is sour cream good for after opening?" This dairy product is known to have a longer lifespan than others like milk, but does it eventually go bad? Knowing how long sour cream is good for after opening is a good way to avoid consuming rancid dairy.
So, exactly how long is sour cream good for after opened? This insightful guide will share the answer to this and other sour cream-related questions, preventing unnecessary waste as well as helping you determine when it's time to throw it out. So, let's find out: how long is sour cream good for after opening?
Jump to Section
- Does Sour Cream Go Bad?
- How Long Is Sour Cream Good for After Opened?
- How To Tell if Your Sour Cream Has Gone Bad
- How To Make Opened Sour Cream Last Longer
- How To Use Sour Cream Before It Goes Bad
Does Sour Cream Go Bad?
Before we can answer the headline question of this article — how long is sour cream good for after opening? — we need to answer the following: does sour cream go bad? While sour cream has a naturally sour smell and lasts longer than other dairy products, it does eventually go off. Why? Because sour cream is made from bacteria cultures.
To make sour cream, regular cream must be fermented with particular lactic acid bacteria, be it deliberately or naturally. The action of introducing the bacterial culture thickens the cream and causes it to go sour. That’s where sour cream gets its unique tangy and sour flavor, as well as its name.
The bacterial fermentation that causes the production of lactic acid is known as "souring." The process yields a delicious accompaniment to many dishes, and can also be used to elevate your favorite baked good. However, since bacteria, protein and sugars are the perfect breeding ground for mold, there is a limit to how long sour cream is good after opening.
How Long Is Sour Cream Good for After Opened?
If you’re eyeing that half-empty tub of sour cream in your fridge and questioning, “How long is sour cream good for after opening?” then you’re going to want to pay close attention here.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that sour cream is good for up to 21 days after the sell-by date. This time period is only applicable if the sour cream has been continuously refrigerated for 21 days at temperatures under 40°F (4.4°C). Although 21 days is the maximum amount of time that sour cream is good for, the average usually spans between one to three weeks.
The reason for this specific time window in relation to how long sour cream is good for after opening is that the ingestion of expired sour cream can cause food poisoning. This, in turn, can lead to symptoms like vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and even death in severe cases.
What Causes Sour Cream To Go Bad?
There's no longer a need to ask the question, "How long is sour cream good for after opening?" as it's now been answered, but what causes sour cream to go bad? The biggest cause of your sour cream going bad is bacteria. During the pasteurization process, not all bacteria are killed, and when combined with the proteins and sugars in the milk, they can cause your sour cream to grow additional harmful bacteria and mold.
The longer your sour cream sits in the fridge, the more bacteria grow, as is the case with mold. Even if you keep the cream refrigerated, you may be inadvertently introducing more bacteria every time you use it. It could be as simple as using a spoon that is not 100% clean or not closing the lid correctly and exposing the sour cream to air.
How To Tell if Your Sour Cream Has Gone Bad
When it comes to figuring out how long is sour cream good for after opening, some telling signs will indicate that your sour cream is no longer safe to eat.
- Appearance: Sour cream that has gone from white to yellow or green is more often than not no longer safe to eat.
- Texture: Gone-off sour cream may have visible mold on the surface or have a slimy consistency.
- Taste: Rancid sour cream will taste bitter and more sour than usual.
- Smell: Sour cream that has gone bad will develop an extra stinky or rancid smell.
If these indicators don’t help answer your question of “How long is sour cream good for after opening?”, then time is your best bet. If it's been longer than three weeks since the sell-by date, don’t risk eating your sour cream.
Now that you know how long sour cream is good for and how to spot that it's gone bad, what do you do if yours goes off and you need sour cream? Luckily, there are sour cream substitutes you can make with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. A great alternative for non-dairy eaters is a delicious vegan sour cream.
How To Make Opened Sour Cream Last Longer
Now that we've answered the most pertinent question in this article — How long is sour cream good for after opening? — here are some things you can do to make sour cream last longer:
- Use the original container: Avoid decanting sour cream into another airtight container because this could introduce additional bacteria and limit how long sour cream is good for.
- Cover with plastic wrap: After using the sour cream for the first time, take a piece of clean plastic wrap and place it on top of the sour cream, ensuring all areas and sides are covered.
- Turn the container upside down: This may sound odd, but turning the sour cream container upside down prevents the growth of bacteria in the gap between the lid and the sour cream.
- Use clean spoons: Make sure any spoon you use is properly clean. This means it hasn’t been dipped into another product, nor have you licked the spoon and double-dipped.
- Check that it hasn’t been sitting for too long in the supermarket: To ensure your sour cream is good for longer, check the manufacturing date on the container to determine how long the sour cream has been sitting in the store’s fridge.
How To Store Sour Cream
How long is sour cream good after being opened? While we've already answered this question, another determining factor to the longevity of your sour cream will be how you store it. Pay attention to the storage instructions on the sour cream container. These will say to store it in temperatures of 40°F or below to ensure your sour cream is good for longer.
Where you store the sour cream in your fridge will also determine how long sour cream is good for. While it may be tempting to store the sour cream in the fridge door for easy access, this is not a good idea because the constant opening of fridge doors can expose the sour cream to higher temperatures. The back of your fridge is generally the coldest and best place to store sour cream.
What you store the sour cream next to will also impact how long sour cream is good for, since it can easily absorb strong odors. With that in mind, it is a good idea to sour cream away from foods with strong odors like garlic, cheeses and fermented foods. If your fridge is small, make sure that those strong-smelling foods are stored in airtight containers.
If you’re looking to store sour cream in a way that keeps it fresh for longer, you’re likely wondering, “Can you freeze sour cream?” The short answer is yes. Sour cream can be frozen, but you should be aware that it can alter the texture of the cream.
How To Use Sour Cream Before It Goes Bad
Instead of asking yourself, “How long is sour cream good after being opened?” you should focus on how to use all of the sour cream before it goes bad. Luckily, sour cream is good for use in plenty of delicious and creative recipes.
You can incorporate sour cream into your favorite dishes, like creamy mashed potatoes with sour cream. Sour cream is good for keeping mashed potatoes light and fluffy with an added tangy flavor. Other popular uses include the addition of it to macaroni and cheese or mixing it into salad dressing.
Sour cream is also great for baking and desserts. If you’re looking for a way to add moisture to your cakes or breads, you can add sour cream to them. Sour cream is also a substitute for heavy creams and milk because of its high fat content. A popular and delightful recipe that uses sour cream is dreamy Oreo cheesecake bites.
Ultimately, how long sour cream is good for after opening comes down to a number of factors. Ensuring that you store it appropriately and avoid contamination with unclean utensils should help it last as long as it says on the packaging. However, if you're in doubt — whether it smells or tastes off, has a slimy consistency or mold growth — it's always best to err on the side of caution and discard it.
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