Sour cream is considered a favorite product of many people. It is tasty, healthy. Many dishes are prepared from it, and also used as a dessert. The food product, which is based on natural ingredients, has its own storage period. What is the shelf life of sour cream? It is established by state standard specification. In this case, the rules and conditions of storage must be observed.
GOST
Sour cream is covered by GOST R 52092-2003. If this inscription is indicated on the package, the product contains natural milk and there are no additional impurities in it. For more than two weeks, a milk treat can be stored in the refrigerator if it is hermetically sealed sour cream. The expiration date is established by GOST. The product, packed in unpressurized containers, can be consumed only for 3 days. It should be borne in mind what kind of sour cream. Shelf life also depends on this.
A store product can be of a different fat content, indicated as a percentage. Whatever sour cream, the expiration date is counted from the end of the manufacturing process. Manufacturers must indicate this information on the label. After manufacturing, the product should be at the factory no more than 36 hours. The whole shelf life is 72 hours.
Homemade sour cream is considered a perishable product, so it is stored for no more than 3 days. Sour cream products remain fresh for 30 days if they have preservatives.
Cold storage
Whatever the shelf life of sour cream, it must be refrigerated. It is stored at a temperature of +6 to +8 degrees. If it is lower, then the shelf life is increased. Preservation is affected by whether preservatives have been used.
The product in unopened packaging is stored at a temperature of 0 to +6 degrees. What is the shelf life of sour cream in the refrigerator? It reaches 10 days. It is not necessary to freeze the milk delicacy, since useful taste properties are lost, the consistency is violated. What is the shelf life of sour cream after opening the package? The product must be poured into a glass container, covered with a film, secured with an elastic band. You can use the cover. It should be consumed in 3 days.
Storage conditions
The best storage conditions for sour cream:
- Temperature from +4 to +6;
- The term is up to 7 days.
Such standards allow you to preserve the useful properties of the product, so you should buy it in such an amount that it does not stagnate.
Replacing the refrigerator
Sour cream can be stored for 24 hours without a refrigerator. It must be transferred to glass or ceramic dishes. Then it is placed in a basin with cold water. A wet cloth should be placed on top, and its tips immersed in water. Storage in the cellar or basement is allowed.
How to determine the delay?
It is important to know not only the shelf life of sour cream, but also the rules for determining its freshness. Signs of a product that has lost freshness include:
- Bad smell.
- Color change.
- Mold.
- The formation of serum.
These signs are a signal that sour cream should not be eaten. Shelf life determines how long a product can be eaten. When this time is up, you should not feast on it. Manufacturers on the packaging should indicate that after the expiration date the product should not be used.
Recommendations to the hostesses
To sour cream does not deteriorate, it is necessary to observe some rules for use and storage:
- It should not be eaten from the dishes in which it is stored, as pieces of food can get there. Use a dry spoon.
- It is better to store the product in a glass or ceramic container. Metal and plastic are not suitable for this.
- It is advisable to put dishes with sour cream on the middle shelf of the refrigerator, since there is the most suitable temperature.
- If you need a little sour cream, then you should not get everything out of the refrigerator. It is only necessary to shift in a separate dish as much as required.
- It is not recommended to leave a spoon in sour cream.
- It is necessary to monitor the product. If serum is noticeable, then you need to use sour cream as soon as possible.
The choice
Natural is considered homemade sour cream from the farmer. Such a product will have a creamy aroma, delicate texture, high fat content. But the latter property is not entirely suitable for those who follow the figure. However, in their own products there are no additives and preservatives, which can not be said about store products.
The stores have a large assortment. Products differ in fat content, additives and cost. Before ripening, the cream is brought to the necessary fat content. Calorie content does not always indicate naturalness, that is, 12% sour cream will be suitable. Whatever the fat content, the products should not be liquid. A sign of quality is a uniform consistency. If there are grains, then the manufacturing technology is violated or the storage conditions were inappropriate.
But even if the consistency is good, this is not an indicator of naturalness. To improve it, manufacturers often add stabilizers and thickeners to their products. Also, sour cream products are sold in stores in which there is a vegetable base - palm oil. Dietitians do not recommend consuming something like this.
You should consider the prefix "bio" in the name. It indicates that sour cream is enriched with bifidobacteria and probiotics. These substances are considered beneficial for digestion. All information about the composition and storage should be on the packaging. It is important that the GOST marking is present, as this indicates the naturalness and compliance with the cooking technology. If the products are manufactured according to technical specifications, then sour cream is not necessarily a harmful composition. The classic sour cream was probably diluted with additives, for example, bifidobacteria. Remember that it is important to choose this milk treat carefully, as well as follow the rules for its storage.