Can You Freeze Sour Cream?

If you bought sour cream for a recipe and now have a partial container in the fridge that you don't have any immediate plans for, you may be wondering if it's safe to freeze, or even if it's something that's worth freezing. Does sour cream freeze well? Is there something better you can do with it?

You can freeze sour cream, but the texture will change considerably. Because of this, frozen sour cream is best used in cooked dishes, like casseroles, soups and crockpot recipes. Your sour cream won't get any fresher than it is on the day you put it in the freezer. Freezing may stop time temporarily, but it doesn't unwind it. So, be sure to freeze your sour cream while it's still fresh.

How to Use Frozen Sour Cream

To use your frozen sour cream, just allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for a day or so (thaw time will depend on how full the container was when you froze it). If you'll be adding the sour cream to something like soup, you can even add it directly to the pot while it's frozen. It'll thaw out fast enough.

More Ways to Use Up Sour Cream

If you're just trying to get that tub of sour cream out of the fridge, there are plenty of things that you can do with it. Put it to work in one of these recipes, or use some of it to start a batch of homemade sour cream. While more sour cream may be the last thing you need right now, it's still cool to know you can make it yourself. And homemade sour cream tastes a million times better than that fake store stuff. Make one batch, and you may never have to find ways to use up a giant tub of store-bought sour cream again. When you make your own sour cream, you can make as much or as little as you want -- even just enough for a specific recipe.