How long does cream last?
Cream keeps for 1 month in the fridge. Freezing cream, whipping, ultrapasteurized, is not recommended; whipped, sweetened keeps up to 1 to 2 months in the freezer. USDA lists 5 kinds of cream; the first is shown here and all are in the table below.
whipping, ultrapasteurized
No guideline
1 month
from the package date; after opening: 1 week
Not recommended
All kinds of cream, side by side
| Kind | Pantry | Fridge | After opening | Freezer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| whipping, ultrapasteurized | no guideline | 1 month | 1 week | Not recommended |
| whipped, sweetened | no guideline | 1 day | no guideline | 1 to 2 months |
| half and half | no guideline | 3 to 4 days | no guideline | 4 months |
| heavy | no guideline | 10 days | no guideline | 3 to 4 months |
| light | no guideline | 1 week | no guideline | no guideline |
No guideline: USDA gives no time for that place, usually because the food is not stored that way.
- light: Use for cooking.
How to tell cream has gone bad
General signs for dairy products & eggs, the group USDA lists cream under.
- Sour, sharp smell from milk or yogurt that was mild before
- Mould on cheese that is not part of the recipe
- Eggs that float in a bowl of water instead of sinking
- Slimy or watery texture on soft cheese or yogurt
- Yellowing or watery separation showing up in milk
More on dairy products & eggs. The times above are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Keep dairy and eggs in the coldest part of the fridge, not the door, at 40 F (4 C) or below. Store eggs in their original carton to protect them and track the date. Reseal cheese tightly in wax paper or a container, and keep milk capped between pours.
More in dairy products & eggs
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). Times assume a fridge at 40 F (4 C) and a freezer at 0 F (-18 C). How we decode the data.