How to store pimento cheese
Best place: the fridge. USDA gives pimento cheese a fridge time tied to the package date and no pantry time, so it belongs in the fridge as soon as you get home.
No guideline
Use by the package date
from the package date; after opening: 4 weeks
No guideline
How to tell pimento cheese has gone bad
General signs for dairy products & eggs, the group USDA lists pimento cheese 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.
How to store other dairy products & eggs
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). How we decode the data.