How Long Does Cream Cheese Last: Can I Use After One Month?

How Do You Know When Cream Cheese Goes Bad?

Cream cheese is a savory ingredient loved by a lot of people. It goes marvelously with bread and a bagel for breakfast. Due to the versatile nature of cream cheese, you might often buy more than you need. So, how long does cream cheese last? You might wonder. 

The life span of cream cheese depends on a lot of factors, but cream cheese can last up to two weeks after opening and a month in the fridge. You can extend the lifespan of your cream cheese by storing it properly.

It would be best if you do not eat your cream cheese after a month because it might have signs of spoilage. Cream cheese is a soft cheese type with a shorter lifespan than hard cheese. That is why you should know how long cream cheese lasts. Eating spoilt cream cheese can lead to food poisoning. So, this article will explain all about how cream cheese lasts. 

How Long Does Cream Cheese Last In The Fridge

Freezing cream cheese will give you the most extended shelf life, but it has a disadvantage. Cream cheese will last up to two months after its expiration date if you leave it unopened. But, it will last up to two weeks with the can open.

The ideal freezing temperature for cream cheese is at or below 40 degrees. Freezing your cream cheese has the disadvantage of not thawing well. The cream cheese becomes crumbly due to the extra moisture content it has. The crumbly nature does not mean that it is not suitable for eating. It is still perfectly safe to eat. 

You should only leave your cream cheese open at room temperature for not more than two hours because cheese has a high-speed bacteria growth ability. At room temperature, bacteria can grow fast and spoil your cream cheese. 

It is best to store cream cheese without additives like nuts, vegetables, or fish. These additives will reduce the lifespan of the cheese despite your proper storage. Endeavor to eat cream cheese with additives or store it for only a short period. 

How Long Does Cream Cheese Last Once Opened

Once opened, your cream cheese can last up ten days inside the fridge beyond its best-before date. Try as much as possible to finish your cream cheese once you open it before ten days, no matter the due date on the can. 

Although the cheese will have preservatives inside to help it last longer, cheese is a dairy product made from milk and is not known for longevity. Cream cheese can become bad within a week or before the due date. It all depends on how well you store it. To be safe and avoid eating spoilt cream cheese, observe the ten days after opening timeframe. 

How Long Does Cream Cheese Last After Expiration Date

How long your cream cheese will last after its expiration date depends if the cheese can is open or not and your storage method. Unopened cream cheese will last up to a month in a fridge. In contrast, an opened one will last only about ten days past its expiration date. 

If you have opened your cream cheese, you should put it inside an airtight plastic container before dropping it into the coldest part of the fridge. If the cheese is unopened, you could toss it inside the fridge like that, and it will stay a tad more than its expiration date. 

Cream cheese has preservatives and stabilizers that protect it from going bad. It is safe to assume that they will keep it safe for more than the date on the can. The date is usually back-dated a little for safety reasons. 

How Long Does Philadelphia Cream Cheese Last Once Opened

Philadelphia cream cheese is one of the best types of cream cheese. Once it hits the best-before date, the Philadelphia cream cheese can last up to two months in the freezer and only about two weeks in the refrigerator, so long as it is in a plastic container or foil-wrapped. 

The freezer has a colder temperature than the refrigerator—the colder the temperature, the slower the bacteria growth. Bacteria growth is the primary threat to cream cheese. It causes spoilage and proliferates on cheese because it is a dairy product.

Poorly stored cream cheese will quickly deteriorate, producing signs like discolorations, slimy texture, molds, and unpleasant smells. Once your cream cheese starts giving up these signs, do not eat the cheese. Bad cheese will lead to food poisoning and other food-related illness. 

How Do You Know When Cream Cheese Goes Bad

You can determine if your cream cheese goes bad by using your senses. You can smell, touch, and look at the cheese for signs of spoilage. Here are some of the signs that tell you that your cream cheese has spoilt: 

  • Mold

Spoilt cream cheese will have signs of yellowish, blue, green, or brownish molding as a sign of bacteria growth. The mold could be dry or slimy. Whichever, it is no longer safe to eat. You can’t eat molded bread, can you? No, same with molded cream cheese. 

  • Unpleasant Smell

Bad cream cheese will give off a sour smell. It would be best to sniff the cream to detect the smell, as the awful smell shows spoilage. Eating or cooking with such cream cheese will ruin your meal and even upset your stomach. 

  • Sour Taste

When you taste a bit of the cream cheese, and it tastes sour, the cheese has gone bad. The sour taste usually accompanies the lousy smell and molding. To be safe, taste the cheese before spreading it onto your bread. 

  • Texture 

Good cream cheese is creamy and has consistency. Any crumbly, dry, or flaky texture is a sign of spoilage. However, when you thaw a frozen cream cheese, it will also have a crumbly texture. You must also smell or taste the cheese to determine its usability. 

Usually, storing cream cheese for a while will result in liquid separation. That is when a liquid is floating on top of the container. This separation does not indicate spoilage. You can stir the cream together and use it. Endeavor to determine if your cream cheese is still suitable for consumption after storage before use. 

We use cream cheese often for our breakfast and other meals, so it seems better to store it than always running to the store. The best method to keep your cream cheese is by refrigerating or freezing it. It does not matter if you have opened the can or not. It would help if you asked how long does cream cheese last. 

Cream cheese can last between a week and two months, depending on your storage type and if you have opened the cheese can. Spoilt cheese is not healthy and is also a waste of food. That is why we have written this article to inform you of how long you should store your cream cheese. 

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