The plastic containers most cream cheeses come in are decent enough for storing. But in order to stay fresh for as much as possible, you need to use proper packaging as well. Then as you get home, put it in the fridge right away.Īn ideal fridge temperature for storing cream cheese is 40º Fahrenheit or lower. What this means is you should always put it in your shopping cart just before checking out. How To Store Cream Cheese?Īs we already established, cream cheese goes bad at room temperature within two hours. Certain bacteria and molds can actually cause acute diseases that can be quite dangerous. By that, I don’t mean an upset stomach or heartburn. Because of that, it can easily become contaminated with harmful microorganisms. As you know, cream cheese has a high moisture content. You should always throw it away with the first signs of spoilage. But once it spoils, the odor will become strong and pungent.īe very careful when consuming cream cheese. Fresh cream cheese has a light, pleasant dairy smell. A few drops of liquid forming on the top is okay, but if the consistency has drastically changed, it’s time to discard it.Īside from visual signs, it’s worth noting that change in odor often indicates cream cheese has gone bad. The same applies if your cream cheese becomes too watery. If that’s the case, the cream cheese is no longer edible. Over time, it will become dry, grainy, and crack on the surface. But the risk of getting sick is definitely not worth it.įresh cream cheese has a smooth texture. Truth be told, not all mold appearing on cheese is harmful. If any color change appears, throw the product away. So while you can usually cut off the molded part on hard cheeses, that’s not the case here. And because of its creamy texture, it easily spreads throughout the entire cheese. The color change indicates some kind of mold has formed. If you notice its color-changing to yellow, pink, blue, or green, your cream cheese is no longer good. Cream cheese is usually either white or cream in color. Luckily, you can notice the first signs of spoilage pretty easily. With such a short shelf life, it’s possible cream cheese will go bad before you go through the whole packaging. Forget about double-dipping, as you can easily contaminate it. By this, I mean you should use a clean butter knife every time you want to scoop it. So for instance, if you keep it at room temperature for more than two hours, it will only be good for trash.įurthermore, shelf life also depends a lot on hygiene. One thing to keep in mind though – the shelf life of cream cheese can be drastically shorter if not stored properly. Why is that? We’ll get into more details in the last section. However, freezing cream cheese is not advisable unless it’s for cooking. In terms of cream cheese, you can expect it to last up to two more months, given it’s adequately packed. When it comes to dairy products, freezing doesn’t extend their shelf life for too long. This is true whether cream cheese is stored in plastic containers or foil-wrapped. In most cases, you can expect your cream cheese to be good for one to two weeks when stored in the fridge. Once you open the packaging, the shelf life gets much shorter. But it will be usually indicated on the packaging. The exact amount of time it can stay good depends on the exact process. For instance, if the cream cheese was heat processed, it can last for a few more months in the fridge. In some cases, the shelf life can be a bit longer. Generally, their shelf life is two to three weeks past the date on the label. This is, of course, assuming you’re keeping it in the fridge.Ĭream cheese with less than 1.5% fat will last a bit shorter. Cream cheese packed in plastic containers usually lasts for three to four weeks after the best before date on the packaging. In any case, they inhibit bacterial and mold growth, thus increasing the shelf life. Most store-bought cream cheese contains preservatives, be it natural or artificial. The actual shelf life is somewhat longer than that. Instead, it tells you how long the product will keep its optimal quality. That date doesn’t actually show when it’s time to throw the cream cheese away. You’ll see a best before date on the back of every packaging. Like most dairy products, cream cheese doesn’t have a very long shelf life.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |