Even sour cream eventually sours.
Sour cream is a delicious ingredient for both sweet and savory recipes.
You may be wondering, “does sour cream go bad?”

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When it comes to making asour cream recipe, you may be curious about just how long it lasts.
The short answer is up to 21 days after the sell-by date.
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What Is Sour Cream?
Sour cream is adairy productmade from light cream that is eighteen to twenty percent butterfat.
Once lactic-acid bacteria is added, the cream thickens to a creamy, slightly tart consistency.
Like any other dairy product, sour cream spoils with time.
How Long Does Sour Cream Last?
Can You Freeze Sour Cream?
Sour cream is safe to freeze and can be done easily at home.
That said, freezing sour cream changes the texture and taste, so proceed with caution.
That said, the product can sour entirely when the lactic-acid producing bacteria is exposed to room temperatures.
If this occurs, your sour cream may have an abnormally sour smell, or odor.
Like other dairy products,sour cream can spoil, growing mold and discoloring.
If this occurs, your sour cream has gone bad and needs to be discarded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but be cautious of homemade sour cream going bad.
It should not be consumed if it develops an off smell, molds, becomes yellow, or discolors.
Eating sour cream that’s more than a month old is not a great idea.
At most, the USDA suggests it’s safe to eat after three weeks.
Updated May 17, 2024.