Here's How Long Heavy Cream Stays Good After It's Been Opened

Heavy cream can be used to thicken sauces, make whipped cream, or even enhance prepackaged cinnamon rolls. I use it to make dishes from savory potato and beef soup to delectable chocolate mousse, all of which have become staples in my home. The options seem to go on forever, similar to the expiration date of heavy cream after it's opened.

Your typical dairy milk (sorry to those coconut milk lovers out there) will last about a week in the refrigerator after being opened, according to the USDA. However, the thick and velvety goodness of heavy cream can stay fresh for 10 days, per the U.S. government's FoodKeeper App. It can also last in the freezer for three to four months.

As someone who cooks with heavy cream at least three times a week, I can say that it has stayed fresh longer than that every time I have bought it. Many sources say that heavy cream can stay fresh for up to four weeks in the fridge. Of course, if not used in a couple of weeks, look for signs of a sour smell or curdling before using — they indicate it has gone bad.

You may be wondering how it stays fresh for so long. Often, the heavy cream you find at your local grocer is ultra-pasteurized. Ultra-pasteurized cream is heated to a minimum of 280 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two seconds, according to the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. This is much hotter than regular pasteurization, which involves heating the product to a minimum of 161 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds or 145 degrees for 30 minutes. Bacteria are more likely to be killed at a higher temperature, extending the cream's shelf life. Moreover, heavy cream has a high fat content of 36% and 40%, which keeps it fresh longer than milk, even if it's not ultra-pasteurized.

Now that you know all there is to know about heavy cream, let's make sure it doesn't go to waste after you make that one delicious creamy lasagna pasta recipe. If you want to keep your heavy cream fresh for longer than a month, store it in the freezer in ice cubes for easy use and simply defrost them in a cup or bowl in the fridge.