It is a "pull" date, not an expiration date. Product should be pulled from store shelf by that date, and not sold. It has nothing to do with how fresh it is or how long it will last.

Well, that's kind of what I thought. The heavy cream is 'Ultra pasteurized' and I've had 'Ultra pasteurized' milk last for many weeks past the date on the package. I think that the cream is not being kept consistently cold as it makes it way to the store.

Google to see if any other consumers are having the same issue. You might even look for a company Facebook page.

Happened to us with a local dairy last year. By the time enough people were affected the story broke in the news. The company initially denied responsibility, but then had no choice but to fess up. They spent $3 million on upgrades, but lost much more in consumer confidence.

Kleinpeter Dairy

I am quite sure it has to do with how the product is stored at the store before you buy it.....and perhaps how cold their refrigerated cases are.
I just finished the last of a carton of half and half...NOT ultra pasteurized and it was more than 2 weeks past sell by date. One store in town has a continual issue with cream, so I don't buy dairy there....but for cheese.

I agree. There was something wrong with the storage before you got it. It could be a Summer issue, the heat overcoming borderline practices. It could be that between the refrigerated truck and the display case they're not refrigerating consistently. It could be as far back as not keeping it cold enough before packaging. Your best bet is to buy your cream from Kroger.

Cream does keep well, but even in the coldest part of the fridge, I wouldn't expect an opened carton to last more than a week. The fat in it will also absorb smells if exposed to air (opening a lot, or not clipping a paper carton closed).

I do try to buy my cream at Kroger; the problem is that Kroger is an hour's drive and I do big shopping there only 4-6 weeks. The IGA is local and I'm in town for errands every week. And the heavy cream from Kroger keeps forever--weeks and weeks, even after opening.

The problem with the IGA cream was even worse with half and half. I quit buying that months ago and switched to the heavy precisely because it was ultra pasteurized and the half and half was not.

1. Although you say it's the coldest part of the refrigerator, did you actually check it with a thermometer to make sure it's 40°F or colder? Have you placed something warm next to it (like soup you didn't chill in ice water in the sink before placing it in the refrigerator)? Which will raise the temperature in the refrigerator, especially if it's close to the cream.

2. How long do you leave it out of the refrigerator when in-use? The longer you leave it at room temperature, the faster it will spoil.

3. Do you place a portion in a cream pitcher for use, and then pour any remaining cream back into the carton when done? Try to avoid that because "old" (warm room temperature) cream (as well as milk or half-and-half) should not be placed back in the container with the refrigerated portion. It is akin to adding a fermentation starter, which will continue the souring process.

This is a fun subject to do a lot of speculating ;-).

-Grainlady

Those are some interesting speculations. If none of this applies, I would call and speak to the store manager and tell him/her what is going on. Maybe they have some issues that should be brought to their attention. We have a store here that I have stopped buying any meats because every time I buy meat there, it's rotten when I get home! They are real snooty about taking the meat back so I just stopped buying and I tell everyone I know not to buy their meat! Most stores will happily take meat returns. I never have issues with other stores' meat.

The stores that are happy to make good are generally the stores that are on top of their temperatures and supply. The ones where they are bad about returns are probably ones where they get too many and want to discourage people from bothering them and ruining their stats and bottom line. Most stores don't even want you to bring the item back. They'll refund just for the sake of customer service.

Trader Joe's walks the fine line with products that don't have preservatives and as extended a shelf date as can be reasonable, so they know they're going to slide over the edge. Their refund process is also extremely easy.

Laceyvail, it sounds like it's worth taking an ice chest to Kroger and stocking up when you're there! Since your Kroger cream lasts weeks and weeks, I don't think the IGA issue is with your fridge or how you handle it. Is there a local convenience store, dairy stand, or such like to try when you can't get to Kroger? Since you're willing to use ultrapasteurized, would you be open to irradiated (box on shelf)? You can also freeze heavy cream. And, of course, if you have cream, you can make your own half and half. :)

I also think it's a storage issue at your grocer. Here we had a convenience store whose loss leader was milk. It never lasted more than 2 days before it was sour, and that was always before the sell by date. After I took back several gallons, the manager said other people were having problems. Turns out the storage cooler, a walk-in style, had a warm corner, and that's where the milk stayed until stocked on the racks. Luckily, this was a very small business and the manager was someone everyone knew and who was agreeable to finding a solution for an on-going problem.

I think I'd also stock up at Kroger and freeze enough cream to last until my next trip. I do that with several items that I buy only when I take the hour-long drive to Grand Rapids.

Annie

Just to respond again. The cream comes out for less than 2 minutes every morning, just long enough for me to put a little in my tea and in the cat's dish. Then goes right back into the fridge. It may come out again in the evening if I have a dish of berries. But otherwise, it's in the fridge, bottom shelf. And everything else in the fridge keeps well, including, as I mentioned some organic milk I bought last spring for visitors which was still good almost 6 weeks after it had been opened. And that was on the top shelf.

I always try to buy my cream at Kroger, but occasionally forget, or the timing is off, or I make a recipe unexpectedly that uses a lot of cream.

I think it's an issue of traveling from dairy to grocer; I think it's just not kept properly cooled.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and advice.

I always suspect the storage at the store being the culprit when cream or milk goes bad early. If the stock boys leave the dairy stuff out too long before putting it in the refrigerated store room, that will do it. Time to find a store that takes care of its produce better.

I routinely freeze heavy cream due to logistic problems getting it from the store to my home. I take it out of the freezer 24 hours befor planning to use it. Makes lovely whipped cream fillings. Frosting doesn't impair the whippingness of whipping cream in my experience.

I'm sure freezing heavy cream would work, but then I wouldn't have it daily for my tea and to pour over (defrosted) blueberries, coconut, candied ginger and bananas and/or clementines for dessert. :) I do know that freezing half and half doesn't work well--been there, tried that--it separates.

And I'm stuck with my IGA, 7 miles away in the same town where my bank, PO, library etc. all are, unless I make the big shopping trip every 3-6 weeks an hour away at Kroger.

I tried freezing heavy cream before and it clotted, or clumped, or whatever the right word is for looking lumpy. Basically, it didn't work. I concluded you can't freeze cream. Wintercat, If you're freezing cream successfully, I'd like to know how you're doing it. I can't find just a cup size container of cream any more, and I only use cream for recipes occasionally, which usually only require a cup of cream. Then I'm stuck with another cup of cream left over.

I've also tried to find cream that's NOT ultra pasteurized, as it's supposed to be better for whipping and such. No can do. I guess all that's available now is the ultra pasteurized.

Here in Dallas, I'm blessed with a lot of nice grocery stores. Kroger is almost last on my list of where to shop. I just don't like that store.

Sally

Sally - I just stick the container in the freezer. It's 38% fat pasteurized (probably to death).

Two weeks ago i filled a roll with frozen & thawed cream - came out wonderful: just the cream, a bit of sugar and a teaspoonful real vanilla extract.

I find the important thing is let the cream take its time thawing in the fridge (24 hrs).

Sally, You have Whole Foods in Dallas. They must have non-ultrapasteurized cream there! I'm pretty sure they do here. I don't buy a lot of cream, but I'm pretty sure the kind I buy is not ultra. If they don't have it, talk to the manager.

I have frozen whipping cream and half and half....many times. No problems with clumps or clots....unless, of course, the cream was over the hill before you froze it. I freeze I in the carton....and in some cases I freeze a partial carton....no problems with separation.

Well this is interesting. My half and half separated into milk and cream both times I tried freezing it. It wasn't ultra pasteurized.

I'll check out Whole Foods for non-ultra pasteurized next time I'm there. I have looked at Central Market, which is a gourmet store here, and all they have is ultra.

Sally

Did you try shaking it up after it was thawed? It would have been fine.

Sure I shook it. Didn't want to stay shook.

Im having the same issue. has happened to me several time with spoilage 1-2 weeks before expiration date. very frustrating when your in the middle of a recipe, expiration date says its has 2 week, and your whipping cream is sour and clabbered .

Well, my post was quite an old one. I find if I buy heavy cream, it stays good much better than does half and half.

I just used the last of a quart of half and half in some roll dough. I planned on using it instead of milk because I thought a month past the date it would surely be a touch sour. But i tasted it before I put it into the bowl and it was sweet and good. Kind of wished I had saved it for cereal and fruit.

Lots of people are commenting on a local group, as is my experience that the half-and-half isn't keeping as long as it should.

One brand always soured before the best before date, and I haven't used it in years, I only use another name brand. Now it isn't keeping.

I keep try to keep cream in a cold part of the fridge. It comes in an old fashioned paper carton. if it stays around well past it's date, it just turns into mascarpone. :) If it gets lost in the back for way too long, it will mold and get tossed, but it's nice to cook with at the mascarpone stage, and goes back to creamy if one stirs in the whey. And it's nice with with scones and jam. ;)

Mascarpone? Heavy cream or half and half?

Heavy cream, organic and quasi-local (in state), pint paper cartons. If I have a recipe that calls for half and half I use cream, or cream and milk, or even cream and water, depending on what it is. If I buy half and half it's because I know I'll be using it right away and specifically want it, so I don't get into the spoilage issue with it. Same with light cream. I only know one store that stocks it, so I'm likely to just thin down the heavy cream when necessary. Sometimes I get extra heavy cream because I'm planning on making ice cream or something and then don't get it made, so that's how it sometimes gets pushed aside to turn into cheese, or lost long enough for that cheese to go moldy (way way way after the date).

I've not had good luck with freezing cream, but recently I started using dehydrated cream, and I like it a lot. I also use dried milk, for that matter, but I buy Nestle brand dried milk. I just use it in cooking, especially for breads. I use dried buttermilk with I make pancakes or waffles, but that has to be stored carefully.

I use dehydrated cream when I make smoothies, and it makes them taste like they have ice cream in them. I also use it in baking. I think it is worth investing in, if you are having trouble with cream going bad - at least you would have an alternative.