expiration date of heavy whipping cream

[drewb123]

This may be a stupid question but I have a container of hevay whipping cream with an expiration date of Jun 26th. Just smelled and tasted it and it's fine. How good after the date can I use it? I have compnay fri night and need 1 cup of it should I just buy fresh?

[jzerocsk]

If it passes the "sniff test," I would not care but I know that there others out there who are, as I like to say, "brainwashed by the food service dating industry." For company, I'd just get some new stuff...wouldn't want anyone to spot the date on the carton and accuse me of trying to poison them :-)

[swsidejim]

"brain washed", or a person who has the same standards of any restaurant I have ever worked in. You do not use expired items no matter what. Why risk it. Break open your wallet, and buy some fresh product.

Different strokes I guess.

[jzerocsk]

Different strokes....and different standards. I'm not running a restaurant in my kitchen. Like I said, though, for guests I'd get new stuff anyway.

For just me, the nose knows better than a bureaucrat. Sure there are things I don't take chances with like meats and canned goods.. But Sell-by and Best-by dates are vastly different from Use-by or actual expiration dates. Maybe it's because I'm the product of parents who had to be very frugal all their lives, but I can't think of a good reason to waste something that's perfectly usable just because the date stamped on the package has passed.

Here's an interesting article about expiration dates:
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/d...

[swsidejim]

I dont run a restaurant from my kitchen either, I just try to practice the same high quality standards I was taught.

To each there own.

[embee]

If it is UHT cream and it looks, smells, and tastes okay, it is okay. That stuff, if unopened, lasts for months after the expiration date. Even opened, the date is meaningless! Just let your senses guide you.

If you have real non-UHT cream, you can still go by your senses but, if it's okay, use it up NOW. You were lucky. Non UHT cream spoils quickly.

You aren't pushing an envelope here. You'll know whether it's good.

[smartie]

some of us 'oldies' were brought up in a time when there were no sell bys and use bys. We did the nose trick, sniff, if it smells fine stick a finger in it and if it tastes fine we used it.

Old cans/tins were the ones to be careful with.

[thenurse]

Just buy some fresh stuff. you'll feel like an a$$ if for some reason your meal is ruined b/c of saving a few bucks.

[swsidejim]

I dont understand why some folks like to "push the envelope" on expiration dates... especially on dairy product just to save a few pennies. Go buy some fresh heavy cream, you only need a cup.

[ScubaSteve]

are you sure it's an 'expiration' date? and not a 'sell by date'?
'sell by' dates usually give you seven days of usable guaranteed quality.
but when in doubt, throw it out.

[Laura D.]

I think there may have been another post on this very topic a few months back but I have to run off to work so can't link it right now. Bottom line, it seemed like everyone on that post (and me personally) concurred that heavy cream typically lasts much longer than it's expiration date, especially if not opened. I've definitely used cream that was over a month past its date without worry. You know when dairy is bad by smell and taste so if those two senses haven't steered your wrong you should be fine. Good luck!

[JasmineG]

I'd use it without even thinking about it! It smells and tastes fine, it's fine.

[jinet12]

Buy fresh...