Whether you’re trying to soften your cream cheese for a cheesecake recipe or you accidentally forgot to refrigerate the cream cheese when you got home from the supermarket, you may wonder if it’s gone bad after sitting at room temperature. Depending on how long it’s been sitting on the counter, you may want to opt for throwing it away and purchasing a new container.
Cream cheese is safe to leave out for up to two hours. Anything after this and you can be entering uncharted territory. Bacteria can grow rapidly on cream cheese products after a couple of hours and you may be putting yourself at risk by eating it or using it in your next baking recipe.
If you’ve left your cream cheese out, you can do a thorough visual inspection of it before refrigerating it. If it’s still cool to the touch, it’s unlikely that it reached an unsafe temperature and you can move forward with using it as you had planned to.
How Long Can You Leave Cream Cheese Out at Room Temperature?
If you’re working on a recipe that calls for softened cream cheese, you may be wondering how long is safe to be leaving out the product. According to the food expert standards, the maximum amount of time you want to leave the cream cheese out is two hours.
After this, you’re potentially putting yourself at risk for a host of nasty bacteria. Luckily, 1-2 hours is plenty of time for cream cheese to reach a softened state and you shouldn’t have any problem whipping it into your recipe or using it to make a frosting for your carrot cake.
If you accidentally forgot your cream cheese on the countertop overnight, then you’ll want to toss what remains of it. The cheese will have likely spoiled and it’s no longer safe to consume, even if you add it into something.
When you’re leaving the product out to soften, set a timer or alarm on your phone or the microwave to remind yourself to check on it. The last thing you want to do is set it on the counter and go about your day, forgetting all about it.
Can You Leave Cream Cheese Out If It’s Unopened?
Regardless of whether it’s opened or unopened, cream cheese can only be left out for a maximum amount of 2 hours at room temperature. Oftentimes, cream cheese comes in a plastic container or wrapped in foil — which won’t protect it from going bad.
Similar to milk, it doesn’t matter if it’s open or sealed, it can still go bad just as easily. Spoiled cream cheese has to do with the temperature that it reaches and it can hit this temp even if it’s been sealed and never opened.
Anything above 40 degrees Fahrenheit will start the countdown to the two-hour mark. If you have your cream cheese in a cooler, you may be able to get away with a longer period of time since it’s staying below this temperature.
Cream cheese often has milk in it, which spoils quickly. Due to this, the cheese can go sour and rancid if it’s forgotten on the counter. Nobody wants to eat sour cream cheese! It would ruin any dessert recipe you add it to, even with the addition of sugar.
What Happens If You Eat Cream Cheese That’s Gone Bad?
Eating a small amount of spoiled cream cheese is unlikely to do you much harm but if you eat it in a greater quantity without noticing, you may be in for a bout of food poisoning.
While cream cheese is essentially already slightly soured milk, it has been pasteurized and is therefore safe to eat. Once it has a chance to go bad, though, you’ll want to avoid consuming it.
The lactose content provides a fertile breeding ground for bacteria to grow and multiple. Once this happens, you’ll likely see the signs of mold on the surface of the cheese and this is a clear sign to throw it into the bin.
Since cream cheese is the main ingredient in cheesecake, you may find yourself feeling ill if you make a cake with rotten cream cheese. You’d be consuming a larger amount of it at this point, which could lead to you having symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and even a fever.
To prevent yourself from becoming dehydrated, you’ll want to drink lots of water and consider adding some extra electrolytes into the mix as well. Your body will work to eliminate the bad bacteria, which unfortunately may result in vomiting.
How Can You Tell If Cream Cheese Has Gone Bad?
When cream cheese goes off, it’s usually very obvious. The smell will be sour and unappealing and there will be visible spots of mold. The contrast between the white cheese and the mold will be easily apparent to the naked eye.
You may also notice that the cream cheese has a somewhat slimy layer across the top. In other cases, it may dry out and be somewhat crumbly — which isn’t ideal for many recipes.
In all of these instances, you’ll want to toss the container and purchase a new one instead. Cream cheese should be smooth and lightly sweet with maybe a hint of a tang. If it’s smelling especially sour, it could be the milk content having spoiled and you won’t want to consume it.
If the expiration date on the cream cheese has passed, you can still be safe to eat it if it doesn’t show any of the above signs. As always, look at the product before consuming it and give it a small taste test to ensure it tastes as it normally would.
When there is a clear layer of liquid at the top of the cream cheese, but it’s not slimy in nature, that’s normal! You can simply mix it back in. It’s called syneresis and it’s perfectly safe.
How Should Cream Cheese Be Stored?
Ideally, you should be keeping your cream cheese in the refrigerator. Once opened, the product can last for upwards of two weeks without exhibiting signs of spoilage.
If you leave the cheese unopened, it may last between 1-2 months in the refrigerator. However, it will be hard to check this until you finally unseal it. You wouldn’t see any mold growth until you remove the airtight cover.
Most people choose the refrigeration method, as it’s the easiest way to use cream cheese for your morning bagel. The fridge temperature keeps the cream cheese spreadable and smooth, whereas the freezer method requires you to defrost the cheese before using it.
Once you place the cream cheese in the freezer, you’ll want to add a date to the packaging so you don’t forget when you originally bought it. Once you defrost it, there may be some separation but this is morning. Mix it up and it’ll be good to go!
How Long Does Cream Cheese Last?
If you enjoy having a bagel every morning, you may consider buying an extra large container of cream cheese as they’re often cheaper. In this case, you’ll want to ensure that it lasts long enough for you to go through it.
When you get home from the store, immediately put your tub of cream cheese into the fridge. If you’re not going to use it right away, leave the seal on it until you are as this will prolong its freshness.
After you remove the airtight seal, you’ll want to use the cream cheese within a couple of weeks. Anything longer than this and you’ll want to do a visual inspection, as well as a quick smell test to ensure that it hasn’t gone sour.
As long as the cream cheese doesn’t show signs of mold growth and doesn’t smell off, then you can continue using it. Some brands may have more preservatives than others, allowing them to last longer in the fridge.
When you freeze cream cheese, it can last for several months. This isn’t the ideal storage method for the product though and may even alter the smooth and spreadable texture.