Sour cream is a very famous dairy product used in almost every kitchen. Still, people are unaware of what it constitutes. Adding lactic-acid culture to simple cream produces sour cream. This process results in the jiggly, tart substance you love and know as sour cream.
We can use sour cream in almost everything, from sauces and dips to baked goods. Sour cream is universally applied. Sour cream is almost like curd or yogurt because they all form with the help of curdled or fermented milk.
Can You Freeze Sour Cream?
It often happens that a recipe or food requires sour cream, but you only get to use and enjoy only half of it. This, in turn, leaves you thinking about what to do with the leftover sour cream, and you feel that the cream might go to waste. So you are left wondering whether you can freeze the sour cream and whether it is safe to freeze it.
The answer to your question is yes! You can freeze sour cream, but its texture is heavily altered after freezing, leaving it almost useless for many dishes. But, you can freeze sour cream if you want to put it in a recipe for a food that involves baking or cooking. Apart from that, it is advisable to use fresh and unfrozen sour cream.
You can keep sour cream safely in the refrigerator for up to 15 days at around 4.4℃ or below.
Just like most milk products, you can freeze sour cream as well. But, we do not recommend freezing sour cream because freezing heavily affects the quality of the sour cream. People report severe changes in the cream’s texture after freezing. The manufacturers of sour cream themselves warn the consumers against freezing sour cream.
Can You Freeze Sour Cream In Its Container?
Yes, you can freeze sour cream in its container.
- Store it in its default container, or shift it to a vacuum-packed container and make sure to extract any extra air out.
- Don’t forget to note down the date you are keeping the sour cream in the freezer and freezing it. You can keep the sour cream in your freezer for 6 months.
How to Freeze Sour Cream?
As soon as you see or realize that you can no longer consume the sour cream at once, store and freeze it. Make sure to freeze sour cream as soon as possible because the fresher sour cream is at the time of freezing, the longer it can be kept in the freezer.
Don’t make the mistake of freezing sour cream on the day of its expiry or when it has already started losing its texture, smell, and quality. If that’s the case, you cannot freeze it for long.
Here is a step by step procedure on how to freeze sour cream:
Method 1: Freezing a Sealed Container
Suppose you have unopened containers of sour cream in your refrigerator, and they are nearing their expiry date. In that case, freezing these sealed containers is very simple.
The packaging of sour cream is mainly similar to that of yogurt. The packaging includes a small plastic container with an aluminum lid or even a plastic cover. But, they also come packed seldom in a small carton like juice or milk cartons.
Both of these packaging options are relatively easy to be placed in the freezer for freezing directly. While placing a container or carton of sour cream, make sure to put it on a uniform surface and keep it upright. Make sure that you place them correctly, and they cannot fall or tip.
You need to be extra careful with sour creams that come in plastic cups because they tear or break easily or without any force. So, it is always a good practice to keep them away from sharp products or things with sharp edges.
You don’t need to create a label because you are freezing the sour cream in its container, and its expiry date is written on the container. Instead, use the expiration date as a reference to remember when you stored the sour cream in the freezer and how long it has been kept there.
Method 2: Freezing Containers That You Have Opened Already
Freezing an already opened or consumed sour cream is tricky compared to freezing sour cream in a sealed container. Still, there is not that big of a deal to freeze opened containers.
Of course, you can use the original cream container that it came in. Still, we recommend using an airtight container for freezing a consumed sour cream because these airtight containers ensure the freshness and quality of your sour cream.
We recommend freezing the sour cream in an airtight container because if you place the sour cream in its original container, it won’t be able to keep the sour cream airtight as you have already opened it once. However, before keeping the sour cream in the freezer, stir it with a spoon to ensure that all the ingredients in the cream are thoroughly mixed.
If the container has been left in the freezer for a short while before the final freezing, some moisture may have formed. Stir the sour cream so that the ingredients are mixed evenly again, and no moisture is left.
If you’re using the original container to freeze the sour cream, seal it using its aluminum foil cover and push it down onto the container’s edge. But, keep in mind that this lid is not airtight or waterproof.
Hence, you need to make sure that the cup cannot tip over or tilt, as otherwise, the cream may flow out if it tips over before it is frozen. It is best to place it in the corner of a drawer and then have some other not-sharp items nearby, keeping it standing upright.
Method 3: Freeze In Portions
Suppose you want to use the sour cream to make dips or sauces and only need small quantities. In that case, it is always advisable to divide the cream into small servings or portions before freezing it. This is because it is practically impossible to separate frozen sour cream immediately.
You will have to defrost the whole container first before being able to use the cream. It is never advisable to get excess sour cream.
If you have stored the sour cream in its original container in the freezer, you don’t need to label it. However, if you store it in your container, it is recommended to create a label with the date of storage and sour cream written on it.
How Long Can You Freeze Sour Cream?
You can keep sour cream frozen in the refrigerator for up to 6 months, whereas you can store fresh sour cream for up to 2 weeks. Freezing also elongates the quality and life of the sour cream.
Can You Freeze Recipes With Sour Cream?
Yes, you can freeze recipes that have sour cream in them. For example, chefs and cooks say that you can safely freeze dishes or sour cream recipes. You can first prepare the recipe, then freeze it. Then, after freezing, thaw it and cook when ready to be used. You don’t need to prepare the recipe initially.
Can You Use Frozen Sour Cream In Baking?
Yes, you can use frozen sour cream in baking. You can safely freeze sour cream, thaw it and use it by taking the proper precautions and steps. However, the texture of sour cream becomes very soupy once you thaw it. So, the best use for sour cream is in casseroles, cakes, or soups, but not in dips or baked potatoes.
How To Defrost Sour Cream?
When you need your sour cream again while cooking or baking sauces, soup, or pies, you need to defrost the sour cream and make sure that you are correctly thawing sour cream before being able to use it. Follow the points given below to make sure you defrost and thaw sour cream the proper way.
- Take the sour cream out of the freezer a few hours before and place it into the fridge. Of course, you would know that you are about to prepare a dish using your frozen sour cream.
- This gentle change in temperate is essential for retaining the taste and consistency of the sour cream later on while preparing the recipe or food. Stir the sour cream deeply before adding it to your food or meal. Sometimes, the ingredients of the sour cream generally get separated, so stirring them will make sure that they are again mixed thoroughly.
- Suppose a case arises where you forgot to transfer the sour cream from the freezer to the fridge. In that case, you are left with no other option than to throw the frozen sour cream directly into your food. In such a situation, reduce the cooking pot’s heat to a lower level and keep stirring slowly for a long time until the sour cream has completely melted.
Can You Freeze A Casserole With Sour Cream In It?
Yes, you can freeze a casserole with sour cream but abstain from freezing casseroles with lots of dairy products. This is because sour cream or other dairy products wouldn’t hold up for long inside the freezer.
So, polish such a casserole right after consumption, or keep the leftovers in your fridge inside a vacuum-packed container for 3-4 days.
You must freeze casseroles with sour cream or cream cheese only in a pinch. You don’t want the results to be undesirable. If the sour cream has been put without a stabilizer in the recipe, put some cornstarch or flour in the recipe to ensure that the sour cream does not separate during freezing.
The texture is also affected if you don’t cool the dish immediately before freezing, resulting in you overcooking the dish.
Does Freezing Sour Cream Ruin It?
Freezing hampers the texture of the sour cream but does not ruin the taste at all.
If you follow the proper procedure for freezing sour cream, then it can be safely thawed and used after being frozen. The texture of the sour cream becomes like a soup, thick and slimy after you thaw it. You cannot use frozen sour cream in a baked potato.
However, sour cream can be frozen or kept in the freezer for 6 months and still retain its quality and taste. But, be careful while storing it in the freezer; otherwise, it will result in freezer burn.
How To Thicken Frozen Sour Cream?
This is a secret trick to thicken your frozen sour cream and bring back its original texture if you notice that it has lost the thickness that was there before freezing.
Put the frozen cream into a small container or bowl, and stir it gently with a spoon. Put a small amount of flour in the bowl and stir consistently until you reach the desired level of thickness in your sour cream. This trick is crazy because this thickens the sour cream almost instantly and does not create clumps in the sour cream.
Suppose you added a lot of flour to the sour cream, and the sour taste of the sour cream is lost. Add some small amounts of lemon juice. This offsets the flour and brings back the sour taste of the sour cream.
Final Words – Can You Freeze Sour Cream?
Sour cream is a very common ingredient that we use in most kitchens. Sour creams resemble yogurt and are also similar to them because like them, sour cream is also a milk product. There are many thawed sour cream recipes. You can easily freeze sour cream, but you need to store sour cream properly.
You can safely keep sour cream frozen for up to 6 months. You need to have a defrosted sour cream before using it in your dishes. You cannot use frozen sour cream to season baked potatoes. This was a complete guide on sour cream.