Cream cheese is one of the few dairy products that can last for up to a couple of weeks past its date. Once you open it up, it keeps for a week, maybe up to 10 days.
Of course, you still need to know how to tell if cream cheese is bad to be sure yours is safe to eat. You know mold is bad, but there are a few other things to look out for. Want to learn all about the shelf life, signs of spoilage, and storage practices for cream cheese? Like other dairy products, such as buttermilk or yogurt , you should store cream cheese in the fridge.
Or transfer the leftovers into an airtight container. That means always use clean cutlery when scooping the cheese and never double-dip. When it comes to freezing cream cheese, the opinions are mixed. Some say it freezes well, others advise against it. The best answer I can come up with is: it depends. Also, how this dairy product turns out after thawing depends on its quality, initial consistency, and ingredients.
Want to learn more about freezing this product? Read our guide on freezing cream cheese. Always store an unopened cream cheese pack in the fridge, away from the door, to keep it fresh for a long. Once you open a new package, you should pack cream cheese properly, but avoid putting it in an open bowl. The best solution is to protect it by keeping it in an airtight container.
Remember that an opened package will always last shorter than the unopened one. In the best case, its shelf life will be about ten days. Another option is to wrap your food in foil to prevent bacteria contamination. It is crucial to keep your cream cheese away from moisture to protect it from mold growth. You can store some types this way for approximately two months.
Always wrap cream cheese well, and then put it in a zip-lock bag or airtight container. That is the best solution to slow down the oxidation process. Take care to store it away from other food, especially raw meat. Once you decide to thaw cream cheese, you should leave it in the fridge overnight. Then, put it in a bowl and start whisking until becoming suitably soft for use.
Avoid storing this product in the freezer for months because it is highly sensitive to ice crystals forming and melting. As a result, it will lose too much water and become crumbly.
Plus, you can expect it to lose its characteristic taste. In such a case, it will be suitable only for meal preparation, but not for consumption. Since cream cheese has a short shelf-life, you should be careful while consuming it. The pasteurization process will kill the most dangerous microorganisms, but this product still contains a high percentage of water, which may cause microbial contamination over time.
Therefore, you should eat this cheese type within two weeks of opening. Always use a clean knife to spread it, thoroughly re-seal the packaging after use, and store it in the fridge. Pregnant women, older people, and those with weakened immune systems should avoid this food. The main signs of spoiled cream cheese are changes in appearance, texture, or smell. A quick visual assessment should usually tell you if cream cheese has spoiled.
If there is mold growing on the cream cheese , this is a sign that it has gone bad, and should not be consumed.
Cheese molds can easily permeate soft cheese, so scooping out the mold from the surface and eating the rest is not an option. Another sign of spoilage is that older cream cheese will dry out, becoming hard, waxy and yellowish in appearance.
You can cut off the dried-out part, and as long as the rest of the cheese looks and smells fine. Cracks and separation can also indicate whether cream cheese has spoiled. Fresh cream cheese is smooth and uniform in appearance. As it ages, cream cheese will dry out, form cracks on the surface, and begin to separate. If you notice large pools of liquid in your cream cheese, and a dried out surface, the cheese has definitely begun to spoil and should not be consumed.
A small amount of liquid on top of cream cheese is normal. Smell is another good indicator of spoilage. Cream cheese will already smell a bit tangy, but if you notice a moldy, or sour smell , you should discard the dairy product.
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