Freezing most dairy products is a challenge. They can split and become grainy and watery. But does this also apply to sour cream or can you freeze it successfully?
Can You Freeze Sour Cream?
Yes, you can freeze sour cream for up to 3 months. The simplest way of doing so is to place it into thick freezer bags before sealing tight and freezing.
Do Does Sour Cream freeze well? No
Can you refreeze Sour Cream? No
How To Freeze Sour Cream
So you’ve decided to freeze it. Then try the following method which is going to prove to be the most effective:
- Beat: Place your sour cream into a bowl and give it a good beat with a spatula. This will help to ensure the moisture levels are spread throughout the sour cream.
- Spoon Into Bags: Spoon it into thick freezer bags in portions so you can easily defrost the amount you need when you need it.
- Seal: Seal the bags up. When doing so, you’ll want to squeeze out as much of the air as possible.
- Freeze: Label the bags with the contents and place them into the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Sour Cream
Now you know how to freeze sour cream, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing it to have the best results:
Whip Beforehand
By whipping it up beforehand, you can ensure there is an even spread of liquid throughout the sour cream which can help the freezing process to be consistent.
Mix with Cornstarch
When defrosting, it will become watery. Add a small amount of cornstarch to the liquid, stir and then fold into the solids.
Avoid Freezing
Ultimately, sour cream will store well in the freezer so try to avoid doing so in the first place where possible. You will notice the difference between fresh and previously-frozen sour cream.
How Long Can You Freeze Sour Cream?
When you freeze anything, it doesn’t completely stop any degradation but will slow it down. Therefore, the longer you keep your sour cream in the freezer, the greater the risk it will split and curdle.
For that reason, it’s highly recommended that you only keep it in the freezer for a maximum of 3 months. Ideally, you would use it much quicker.
Once opened, sour cream will last for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge when kept in a sealed jar or covered container.
How Do You Defrost Sour Cream?
When it comes to thawing sour cream, you will want to do it slowly in the fridge overnight. Simply place the amount you want to defrost into a bowl and leave in the fridge.
Once it has defrosted, there is a huge chance that it will look a little watery. Add a teaspoon of cornstarch to the bowl of watery sour cream and give it a good whip with a spatula. This will help to incorporate the water back into the solids.
It won’t be the best sour cream you’ve ever had but will go some way toward returning it to what it used to be like.
Can You Refreeze Sour Cream?
Although you can refreeze most products, it’s not something we would recommend. With sour cream, it can actually be dangerous as bacteria can grow between the defrosting and refreezing periods.
For this reason, we would strongly urge you not to refreeze any sour cream and, instead, try to only thaw the amount you need when you need it.
Does Sour Cream Freeze Well?
The simple answer to this question is no. Unfortunately, like most dairy products such as cream, there is a huge risk that the fat and liquid will separate when it freezes. This is because the liquid content freezes far quicker than the fat solids.
This leads to the sour cream splitting which leaves you with a grainy sour cream that’s far less appetising.
If you can avoid freezing it then that is the best approach to take. If, however, you need to freeze it then we would suggest only using the frozen then thawed sour cream in cooked dishes as it will be very unpleasant raw, as a dip for example.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing sour cream or sour cream in general, then these may help:
Yes, it’s possible to freeze sour cream dip (with or without chives). Spoon it out into small Tupperware containers, seal and then freeze them. You’ll need to give it a vigorous stir once defrosted to hide some of the textural changes.
Yes, you can freeze soup that has sour cream in it. However, you may find that when defrosted the soup has a grainy texture. Instead, try to freeze the sour cream apart and add it in when you reheat the soup.
Casseroles, such as beef stroganoff, wouldn’t be the same without the cooling flavour of sour cream. It’s certainly possible to freeze it with the sour cream but, unless it’s stirred into the sauce, it’s not something we would recommend. Instead, freeze the cream apart.
Sources
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