On Diet: Storage is vital for bitter cream | Life

Dear Doctor. Blonz: My question is about sour cream: how many days after opening is it safe to use, provided it is kept refrigerated? – GD, San Diego

Dear DG: Your sour cream should last about two weeks, provided it’s been refrigerated and opened before the best-before date printed on the box.

Several factors affect how long a container of cold, perishable food can keep. The variables start with shopping: Since the time outside of the refrigeration should be kept as short as possible, the purchase of chilled or frozen food should be the last stop before the journey home. Once there, the food should be unloaded and stored immediately. (Really, the variables start even earlier, such as whether the product was constantly refrigerated during manufacture and transportation to warehouse. But such factors are beyond our control.)

If you use such food, you should close it again after removing it from the container and place it in the refrigerator; the fewer openings the better. The shelf life of the contents will be shortened if the container is left to stand at room temperature for a long time. When serving, avoid using utensils that have already been used for other dishes.

What we have here are just guidelines. All strange growths, pink colors, “deviating” aromas or smells must be disposed of immediately. If you experience large variations in the quality and shelf life of your refrigerated items in a particular store, there may be problems with that store’s processes or equipment. See the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s informative page on safely handling shopping, storage, leftovers, and refreezes: b.link/hf3zwe.