sour cream past sell-by date but is unopened?

[mafibisha]

The sell-by date is March 9 but wasn't opened.

Another one is sell by March 14 but was opened. Apparently oldest DD used a little last week.

Think either are okay?

 

[Marionnette]

The sell-by date is March 9 but wasn't opened.

Another one is sell by March 14 but was opened. Apparently oldest DD used a little last week.

Think either are okay?

I would pitch them both. Unopened dairy might be okay for a week past the sell by date. The opened carton should have been tossed a week after it was opened.

 

[nunzia]

I eat 'old' sour cream all the time..if it looks ok ( a little liquid on top is fine) then it is probably fine..Sell By or Best Buy are no indicator of quality..

 

[ellone]

Smell it - you will be able to tell if it's bad by how it smells.

 

[figment3258]

I think it's ok as long as it smells good and has no growth on it

 

[BSil]

It's already sour...what could possibly go wrong?

 

[mafibisha]

It's already sour...what could possibly go wrong?

OP here.
Threw out the opened container, used the sealed. Tasted fine
Thanks for the replies

 

[swilshire]

It's already sour...what could possibly go wrong?

That's my theory. Once it's open it will mold and then needs to be tossed, but otherwise, we eat it.

Sheila

 

[2binak]

We eat opened sour cream past the date all of the time as long as it looks & smells ok.

 

[MEM]

It's already sour...what could possibly go wrong?

We took a tour of Cabot creamery a few years ago and they told us that with sour cream and yogurt, they only get more tart/sour with age and don't really spoil. You can scoop off the mold and still be safe to eat it - not sure I'd go there, but she said it would be fine. Same with hard cheese. Only thing you know for sure when its spoiled is milk.

 

[roscoepc1]

Sour cream has only gone "bad" when it has mold on it....if it's still white and smells ok, it's fine. Even if it's liquidy, it just needs to be stirred...it's just separated a little bit....

(Dairy farmer and sour cream lover extraordinaire! lol)

 

[C.Ann]

Sour cream has only gone "bad" when it has mold on it....if it's still white and smells ok, it's fine. Even if it's liquidy, it just needs to be stirred...it's just separated a little bit....

(Dairy farmer and sour cream lover extraordinaire! lol)

I also assume it would be fine to use in any recipes where there is baking involved - correct?

 

[pixiewings71]

I always smell it but if it smells OK we use it, we almost always use Sour Cream past the date.

 

[3boymthr]

I used to work with a girl who in a previous position was a dairy tester for Hood (large creamery in New England). She told me that certain items are good well past the sell by date and that some items such as sour cream and yogurt if stored correctly unopened will last for weeks if not months past the sell by date. She told me one of her jobs was to see how long items will last when opened and stored at room temperature and check the bacteria count twice daily. They had sour cream last a week that way before it became toxic.

 

[CowboyCO]

We eat the sour cream until it turns green. With cheese, just cut the green off...

 

[Diegosmom]

I have eaten it months past the date...totally fine

 

[mrspaha]

I too have used sour cream up to 2 months after the date on the carton, with no problems.

I have also cut off the mold on hard cheese, and used the rest of the cheese.


Twice, I have had bar cheese from the grocery store get the blue moldy spots BEFORE the expiration date. It was the store's dairy brand. Both times, I took the cheese back to the store with my receipt and got a refund.