Shelf life of sour cream: how long can it be stored?

Shelf life of sour cream according to GOST

Sour cream is used quite widely in the food industry. On an industrial scale, it comes to us sealed in polymer cups of various capacities and bags. A homemade product is most often bought at the market or produced yourself; in this case, sour cream is usually placed in glass jars.

Sour cream is distinguished by its fat content percentage; the higher this indicator, the thicker the product:

amateur has a rate of 40%,
The standard product includes a product with 30% fat content,
dessert includes 20%,
dietary with only 10% fat content.

Regardless of the fat content in percentage terms, the shelf life of sour cream, the preparation of which was carried out in accordance with GOST requirements, is quite short. In sealed packaging in the refrigerator, the product can be stored for 5 to 10 days; usually, next to the production date, the manufacturer also indicates the deadline for consumption, which makes the choice much easier.

Important! If, upon purchase, the shelf life of sour cream is much longer, then you have a product with preservatives and other less healthy additives.

How not to buy a fake when choosing sour cream

Natural sour cream is beneficial for humans, as it contains many microelements important for health. A counterfeit product causes the opposite effect and differs in shelf life and consumer qualities. This is due to the presence of various flavor enhancers, preservatives, vegetable fats, and soy additives. They replace natural ingredients, including milk proteins. Such a product can disrupt metabolism, harm digestion and even cause an allergic reaction.

Therefore, before purchasing, you need to check the sour cream with ingredients for naturalness and compliance with GOST, including the shelf life inside the refrigerator. What indicators distinguish a natural product from a fake:

Package. You need to pay attention to how the manufacturer calls the product. If you use “sour cream” or other similar terms, then the likelihood of getting a natural product will be low. You should also be skeptical about bright slogans about quality.
Composition of sour cream. The list of ingredients should contain only natural cream with fermented milk starter. If third-party components or food additives are indicated, then this says a lot about the quality.
Information content. According to GOST, sour cream is classified according to three characteristics. If the manufacturer does not hide the information and indicates all the parameters on the packaging, then the dairy product must be natural.
Acidity. The normal level of lactic acid bacteria is 107 per gram. It is labeled KOE with a number corresponding to acidity. The indicator should not be lower than 107.
Consistency. The fattier the natural mass, the thicker it is. The consistency is always homogeneous, there are no lumps or foreign particles. By thickness, you can also check the fat content of sour cream and the accuracy of the information indicated on the packaging.
Color. Natural sour cream has a milky white tint, and there is a noticeable gloss on the surface. It should not be snow-white, gray or painted with other colors. A matte shade indicates the presence of thickeners and preservatives.
Taste and smell. Sour cream has a pleasant taste and is slightly sour. The smell is not so strong and resembles cream. Too pronounced properties indicate the presence of food additives.
Shelf life. Pasteurized products are stored inside the refrigerator for no more than 14 days. If the indicated period is higher, then its composition is not so natural. The only exceptions will be types of product subjected to enhanced heat treatment.

How long can you store in the refrigerator?

To store the product, certain conditions must be created, even if the packaging is unopened. The acceptable storage temperature for sour cream is no more than 6 degrees Celsius; at such indicators it can be stored for 5 to 10 days from the date of production. Moreover, this applies not only to the store-bought version; a home-made product packaged in sterilized jars can be stored for the same amount of time.

Lowering the temperature to zero will extend the shelf life of sour cream significantly; in this case, it will not spoil even after 30 days. But here it is important to maintain the temperature constantly; any jump can provoke the development of harmful bacteria, which will cause damage to the product.

Interesting! Is it possible to freeze sour cream? You shouldn’t do this, it won’t extend the shelf life, and it will completely ruin the product. After thawing, the product will separate into two parts, one will resemble water, and the second will somewhat resemble cottage cheese. You can’t use them; you won’t be able to derive any benefit for the body, but there will be more than enough harm.

Useful tips

Do not eat sour cream from the container where it is stored;
Place the product into a separate container with a clean spoon;
Ceramics and glass are better suited for storage;
It is not advisable to use metal containers;
Store sour cream on the middle shelf of the refrigerator;
Monitor temperature conditions closely;
Do not leave treats on the table;
Buy sour cream as much as you use in a week;
Watch for signs of spoilage;
Do not leave cutlery in sour cream.

How long does it last open?

An opened container of sour cream has a much shorter shelf life, and this should be taken into account when using it for food. Storage is carried out at a temperature no higher than 6 degrees Celsius, but this will also briefly delay the development of bacteria. Within three days there will be sour sour cream, which is better not to eat.

What to do if the product's expiration date has passed? It would be a pity to simply throw away an expired product, but it is dangerous to consume, since the poisoning can be very severe. Usually in such cases sour cream is used in baking, it is added to dough, yeast or shortbread will only thank you for such an increase.

Features of storing vegetable and fruit salads

Salads made from fresh fruits or vegetables are stored the least. Ideally, they should be consumed immediately after preparation. Despite this, there are several nuances, the observance of which will slightly extend the freshness of the components:

You can cook only from thoroughly dried ingredients without the slightest sign of moisture. The mixing container and tools must also be completely dry and cool.
Ingredients such as boiled eggs and various preservatives should be added to the dish last, just before serving. They need to be cut quite large.
If there is a need to hold the finished dish for a short time, it is recommended to line its bottom with a paper towel. The finished composition also needs to be covered with a paper product and pressed lightly to the surface. Then wrap the container in film and cover with a lid.
The dressing can also be prepared in advance, but it will have to be stored in an airtight container.
If the time of consumption is delayed, then the salad container must be checked every three hours. We change wet towels and mix the ingredients.
In the case of fruit, it is recommended to first place each component in a colander to allow excess juice to drain.
Sliced apples, pears and other ingredients prone to browning should be sprinkled with citrus juice. This will not only preserve their attractive appearance, but also add a subtle aroma.
The dish will have a nice and crisp texture if the ingredients (fruits or vegetables) are first soaked for a few minutes in ice water.

Following the recommendations for preparing fruit and vegetable salads allows you to increase their shelf life from several hours to 5-7 days without the risk of loss of taste.

Shelf life of homemade sour cream

A product produced at home is in many ways superior in quality and content of nutrients to store-bought analogues, even the highest quality ones. If all storage standards and recommendations are followed, the homemade product will deteriorate much faster. It must be used for food within 3-7 days, while the temperature regime is the same as for a purchased product.

Advice! When the temperature drops to zero, storage is extended to a maximum of 10 days.

Why does it start to deteriorate?

Food with signs of spoilage looks like this: an unpleasant smell and taste, inclusion of mold (dark spots), a change in consistency ("water" appears), etc. This occurs due to the fact that microorganisms begin to multiply in the food, releasing life activity toxins harmful to humans. If storage conditions are not met, such as increased temperature, this process proceeds much faster.

For example, according to the rules for the retail trade of dairy products on the market, sour cream and cottage cheese must be stored in barrels or flasks, and after opening, covered with gauze or plywood lids covered with gauze. It is unacceptable to leave spoons in them or reuse them. If you violate even one norm, the product will quickly become unusable.

Signs of delay

If after the indicated expiration date the product has stood for no more than 3 days, then you can still make dough from it. It is forbidden to use sour cream, which has a bitter taste. Fermented milk products that have a sharp, pungent, musty, sour odor are completely unsuitable for consumption. If its consistency has become uneven and slimy, you cannot eat such sour cream. Yellow or grayish spots appear on spoiled product.

You should not eat sour cream if at least one of the listed symptoms is present, otherwise you may get poisoned. It is impossible to store the product for a long time, but if you create the best conditions, it is quite possible to extend the shelf life for some time.

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National standard

The production of sour cream is regulated by GOST 31452-2012.

It is interstate and came into force as a national standard of the Russian Federation on July 1, 2013.

This GOST in clause 3.1 clearly defines “sour cream” - it is a fermented milk product produced by fermenting cream with or without the addition of dairy products using starter microorganisms - lactococci or a mixture of lactococci and thermophilic lactic acid streptococci, the mass fraction of fat in which is at least than 10%.

The document covers a product containing cow's milk cream and carefully packaged.

is not regulated by this standard .

Clause 5.2.1.1 of GOST prohibits the use of stabilizers and thickeners.

The exact shelf life is not specified . This right remains with the issuing company.

The shelf life of butter and sunflower oil is in this article.

What does the packaging tell you?

Information on the packaging is always important to determine the beneficial properties of the product and its safety. You need to understand the inscriptions like this :

A direct reference to GOST indicates the naturalness of the milk delicacy;
If the composition is enriched with probiotics and prebiotics, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, then the product is manufactured according to technical specifications, but this is not always a negative factor;
An expiration date exceeding two weeks indicates the presence of preservatives ;
A swollen package that is not expired indicates that either the storage conditions or the production process were not met.

Under no circumstances should you buy the product in such packaging.

Is it possible to freeze

If such a need arises, you can freeze purchased sour cream for a long time. The product can be stored in the freezer for 3 months, however, the taste will suffer and the consistency will become liquid. Knowledgeable people recommend freezing it and beating it well.

Thanks to such actions, the moisture will be evenly distributed and the mass will become denser. If you do not follow these tips, after the sour cream thaws, the contents will separate into 2 parts. One of them will become like a curd mass, and the second will be like water. This product is completely unhealthy and tasteless.