FoodKeeper advises against freezing sour cream: the texture falls apart, or the thawed result can't be trusted to be safe.
FoodKeeper advises against freezing sour cream: the texture falls apart, or the thawed result can't be trusted to be safe. Your better bet is the fridge: use-by date.
Freezing sour cream, step by step
FoodKeeper advises against freezing sour cream: the texture falls apart, or the thawed result can't be trusted to be safe. Refrigerate it instead and finish it within use-by date.
Counter, fridge or freezer: the numbers
How freezing changes sour cream
In milk and cream, freezing pulls the fat and water apart, so the thawed texture may be watery or grainy. It is completely safe and works well in cooking, baking and smoothies, though it is often less pleasant to drink or to eat straight from the container. Give it a good shake or whisk once it has thawed.
How long sour cream keeps with each storage method
| Storage | How long | Temp | Packaging | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counter / pantry | 2 hours | 68–72°F | Airtight | only 1 hour above 90°F |
| Refrigerator | Use-by date | ≤ 40°F / 4°C | Airtight | go by the package date |
| Freezer | Not recommended | 0°F / -18°C | Wrapped or freezer bag | hurts texture or safety |
Getting to know sour cream
Sour cream sits in the dairy & eggs section of our food guide. For fridge storage, go by the use-by date on the package. Freezing is not advised. As with any perishable food, it shouldn't spend more than 2 hours at room temperature. Best storage spot: choose a middle shelf over the door, which warms up each time someone opens it.
Pasteurization kills harmful bacteria in fresh dairy foods like milk, cream and yogurt, yet they are still perishable once the seal is broken. Temperature makes a big difference to how long they hold up: a carton tucked toward the rear of a chilly shelf will keep noticeably longer than one riding in the door, which warms up every time someone opens the fridge.
What makes sour cream spoil
Some lactic-acid and cold-tolerant (psychrotrophic) bacteria either survive pasteurization or get in after opening. They ferment lactose, the natural sugar in milk, into acid, and that acid is what you notice as a sour smell, curdling or lumps. Mold can also form on top of sour cream, yogurt and products like them.
Mistakes people make storing sour cream
- Keeping it in the door of the fridge, which is the warmest place.
- Tipping leftover milk from a glass or pitcher back into the original carton.
- Leaving it on the table for the length of a long meal.
- Expecting thawed dairy to taste like fresh when you drink it; frozen dairy works best in cooking.
Choosing good sour cream at the store
- Grab dairy toward the end of your shopping trip and head straight home.
- Reach to the back of the case for the coldest containers and the latest date.
- Check that caps, foil and seals are unbroken.
Sour cream: ways to finish it in time
- Use it in baking: pancakes, muffins, biscuits and sauces all call for dairy.
- Freeze small amounts, or fill ice-cube trays, to drop into cooking later.
- Blend it into a smoothie before its window runs out.
Making sense of expiration dates
The dates printed on sour cream packaging mostly describe quality rather than safety. Under US rules, infant formula's use-by date is the only one federal rules require; manufacturers choose all the others themselves. A “Best if used by” date marks when flavor and texture are at their peak. A “Sell-by” date helps the store rotate its stock, and once it passes you can still keep the food at home for its usual storage time. A “Use-by” date is the manufacturer's own pick for the final day of best quality.
For that reason, the storage times on this page start counting from the moment you open, cook or buy sour cream, not on the date stamped on the package: use-by date in the fridge. Food that was stored properly can still be good after a best-by date, while food that was handled carelessly can go bad long before it.
The best place for sour cream
Choose a middle shelf over the door, which warms up each time someone opens it.
Your sour cream storage questions
How long does sour cream last in the fridge?
Use-by date when held at 4°C (40°F) or below. Start counting on the day it was bought, opened or cooked.
How long does sour cream last in the freezer?
Not recommended. FoodKeeper advises against freezing sour cream: the texture falls apart, or the thawed result can't be trusted to be safe.
How long does sour cream last at room temperature?
2 hours at most, or 1 hour if the air is above 32°C (90°F). Throw out perishable food that has been out longer than that.
How long is sour cream good after the expiration date?
With perishable sour cream, time in storage counts for more than whatever the label says. Once it has spent longer than use-by date in the fridge, throw it out — even if the printed date hasn't arrived yet.
How do you know if sour cream is bad?
A sour or cheesy smell in place of a clean, mild one. Clumps, curdled bits or a body that has turned thick and slimy. A yellow cast, or a tint of pink, green or gray.
How long can sour cream sit out?
At room temperature the limit is 2 hours, dropping to 1 hour when the temperature tops 32°C (90°F). A whole night out is never safe.
Sour cream myths: fact or fiction?
- You got it!Not this time.
False. The freezer puts bacteria on hold rather than killing them. They start up again as the food warms, so let it thaw in the fridge, then cook or reheat it all the way through.
- You got it!Not this time.
False. FoodKeeper advises against freezing sour cream: the texture falls apart, or the thawed result can't be trusted to be safe.
- You got it!Not this time.
False. Each time the fridge is opened, the door heats up. Choose a middle shelf over the door, which warms up each time someone opens it.
- You got it!Not this time.
False. Certain bacteria produce toxins that heat cannot destroy. Reheating kills the bacteria themselves but leaves those toxins behind, so anything left out longer than 2 hours belongs in the trash.
- You got it!Not this time.
False. Storage time runs from the moment you open, cook or buy the food. A printed best-by date speaks to quality, and opening a package changes the countdown.
