Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

debm55

(53,428 posts)
Tue Nov 18, 2025, 09:33 PM Nov 18

Something to ponder ----How come there is an expiration date on my sour cream when it is already sour?

19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

Enter stage left

(4,159 posts)
1. I can't answer that, but if you make olive oil out of squashed olives...
Tue Nov 18, 2025, 09:39 PM
Nov 18

What do they make baby oil out of?

House of Roberts

(6,336 posts)
4. Sour cream doesn't last long enough around here to worry about expiration dates.
Tue Nov 18, 2025, 09:46 PM
Nov 18

If nothing else, it gets eaten as dip sooner rather than later.

debm55

(53,428 posts)
5. House of Roberts----was it sour? If so, how do you know it did or did not meet the experation date???????
Tue Nov 18, 2025, 09:49 PM
Nov 18

johnp3907

(4,183 posts)
8. I work in the cheese department at Whole Foods.
Tue Nov 18, 2025, 09:58 PM
Nov 18

One customer complained because the blue cheese was moldy. She said she was going to contact the health department and get us shut down. about 3 months later someone from the health department showed up and said "We have to check out every complaint." I showed her the blue cheese.
The End.

ret5hd

(22,050 posts)
17. it's literally spoiled milk...same as sour cream.
Wed Nov 19, 2025, 01:14 AM
Nov 19

just different bacteria or whatever.

soldierant

(9,182 posts)
13. You can use most things for a while beyonf the expiration date.
Tue Nov 18, 2025, 11:12 PM
Nov 18

The farther out that date is, the longer you can generally use it past it - they are very cautious in assigning expiration dates. But sour cream - eventually the mold will catch up with it.

boonecreek

(1,329 posts)
14. Remember comedian Kelly Monteith?
Tue Nov 18, 2025, 11:12 PM
Nov 18

He posed that same question back in the 70s.
The payoff line was "don't eat that honey, it went good".

Dear_Prudence

(957 posts)
15. Counterintuitive...
Tue Nov 18, 2025, 11:21 PM
Nov 18

You are so right, it makes no sense. But here is some kind of explanation. (The truth is out there?) Sour cream results from a friendly lactic acid bacterium fermenting milk. Those are the same type of bacteria found in probiotic capsules that are supposed to promote gut health. As long as the happy sour cream-lactic acid bacterium partnership continues, sour cream should last for some time. But when unfriendly bacteria or mold contaminate sour cream, then the taste can deteriorate and the tainted sour cream can become unhealthy to eat. (Unfriendly bacteria can overwhelm the friendly gut bacteria, as we all know.) I have discovered sad sour cream with a strange pink tint at the back of the fridge. The pink tint is due to contamination. So don't leave the lid off the sour cream as that increases the chance for bad microbes to ruin the sour cream. Don't eat weirdly tinted or stinky sour cream because that indicates contamination; unfriendly microbes could hijack your guts. And don't be like me, allowing your sour cream migrate to the nether regions of the fridge. But if sour cream remained uncontaminated, it should last long enough to embellish your baked potatoes and chips. 😋

SamKnause

(14,592 posts)
18. I just made sausage gravy with Vitamin D milk with an expiration date of October 28th, 2025.
Wed Nov 19, 2025, 02:41 AM
Nov 19

I rely on my nose to tell me if things are spoiled.

If milk smells the least bit funny I throw it out.

P.S. The gravy was delicious.

OldBaldy1701E

(9,690 posts)
19. Hell, how come there is one on my Sauerkraut and my Kimchi?
Wed Nov 19, 2025, 09:10 AM
Nov 19

Both are made by literally letting them rot in a container for a while!

(But, I love them both!)

Latest Discussions»The DU Lounge»Something to ponder ----H...