# Sour Cream Go Bad Question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 3, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156 "2009-03-03T16:49:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/1 "2009-03-03T16:49:22Z")
I’ve got some sour cream that’s been sitting at room temperature for at least two or three hours, possibly as long as six.
It smells like… sour cream. Which is already sour. So the smell test reveals nothing.
If I put a dollop of this stuff in my Santa Fe stew, am I going to die?
-Kris
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### Author:  [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/2 "2009-03-03T16:56:55Z")
I’d eat it. Unless room temperature is in the 90s… It should be fine.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/3 "2009-03-03T17:27:08Z")
Nah, it’s fine. Helpful hint: store it upside down in the fridge to keep longer. Same for cottage cheese.
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### Author:  [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/4 "2009-03-03T17:37:27Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Nah, it’s fine. Helpful hint: store it upside down in the fridge to keep longer. Same for cottage cheese.
For real? I never would have thought of this! Thanks for the tip! I’m always throwing out sour cream - maybe this way i’ll finally finish a tub of it!
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### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/5 "2009-03-03T18:24:12Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Helpful hint: store it upside down in the fridge to keep longer. Same for cottage cheese.
😕 How does that work?
-FrL-
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/6 "2009-03-03T18:42:36Z")
> [@Frylock](#):
>
> 😕 How does that work?
>
> -FrL-
Those lids allow air to get in, regardless of how well you snap them on. Turning the container on its top essentially seals off that access. At least that’s my guess. All I know for sure is that it really helps prolong the shelf life. It also helps that you don’t lick off the spoon and stick it back in the container (glares at Ms. Chef).
Well, now that I look online, it would appear that this is an old wives’ tale. sigh…
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### Author:  [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/7 "2009-03-03T19:02:39Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Those lids allow air to get in, regardless of how well you snap them on. Turning the container on its top essentially seals off that access. At least that’s my guess. All I know for sure is that it really helps prolong the shelf life. It also helps that you don’t lick off the spoon and stick it back in the container (glares at Ms. Chef).
>
> Well, now that I look online, it would appear that this is an old wives’ tale. sigh…
I have heard the same thing about storing old paint cans upsidedown based on the same theory.
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### Author:  [@bink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bink)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/8 "2009-03-04T04:26:47Z")
> [@Frylock](#):
>
> am I going to die?
Yes, you are. But it probably won’t be from the sour cream.
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### Author:  [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/9 "2009-03-04T05:05:22Z")
I think the main sign for tossing sour cream is any color other than white or furriness of any sort… _yerk_
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### Author:  [@Race\_Harley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Race_Harley)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2009, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/10 "2009-03-04T05:28:22Z")
> [@jellyblue](#):
>
> I think the main sign for tossing sour cream is any color other than white or furriness of any sort… _yerk_
If it’s not a peach, furriness on any food would be a sign for tossing. _ooff_
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### Author:  [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/11 "2009-03-04T05:48:54Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Those lids allow air to get in, regardless of how well you snap them on. Turning the container on its top essentially seals off that access. At least that’s my guess. / Well, now that I look online, it would appear that this is an old wives’ tale. sigh…
I hadn’t come across this ‘wisdom’ about storing cottage cheese upside down, but your explanation seemed plausible to me. So now I’m interested. Which part is deemed to be spurious… that lids allow air in, or that the upside down manoeuvre makes any difference?
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### Author:  [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2009, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sour-cream-go-bad-question/488156/12 "2009-03-04T06:10:15Z")
We all WANT it to be true, **Chefguy**!