Pretend there is a big sale on sour cream at your local grocery store. Let’s say you want to buy the store out of their stock of cheap sour cream, but you don’t think you can eat it before it spoils. Can you freeze sour cream? Or maybe a better question is, should you freeze sour cream?
Well, you can basically freeze anything you want. However, whether it is appropriate is another question. Sour cream is one of those food items that is best kept out of the freezer, but with exception. The problem with freezing sour cream is that its texture typically changes to an unpleasant chunky consistency when it is thawed. Think of the appearance as what a small curd cottage cheese might look like, but with a bit more runniness. This type of texture is probably not something that you would want serve on its own to guests. Additionally, the taste may be slightly altered, which may make it unsuitable for direct eating like as a topping on a baked potato. If you are going to use thawed sour cream, it is best to use it in a recipe that calls for mixing it with several other ingredients. This way the sour cream texture and taste are mitigated by the other textures and flavors.
Instructions On Freezing Sour Cream
It is best to freeze sour cream in its sealed, original container. This means that the original plastic remains under the lid and the lid is fastened tightly. If the sour cream has been opened, you can transfer it to an air-tight container, leave it in its original container, or empty it into a freezer bag. Note that you should always try to eliminate as much air as possible from the freezer bag before putting it in the freezer. Give the product a good stir before sealing the container and placing it into the freezer. The less time sour cream sits in the freezer, the less likely it is to receive harmful freezer burn. We recommend no longer than 3-4 months. Be sure to label the product with the date so you are aware of when it needs to be thawed.
Thawing Sour Cream
Thawing should be done in the refrigeration to avoid bacteria contamination. The texture will likely be off when the sour cream is completely thawed. Give it a good stir to try to smooth the texture. Some people add a small amount of cornstarch in order to try to bring back the original texture. While this does help a bit, the texture likely won’t be as it was fresh. Thawed sour cream will not be ideal for something like a chip dip where the sour cream is the main ingredient. However, use it in a casserole and you won’t notice a difference.
