Yogurt is the perfect breakfast on the go! It is also great frozen as a treat- my two-year-old has a yogurt popsicle every night! It has the good bacteria- probiotics- to help us stay healthy, but we also need to be careful of the bad bacteria that can grow when something is left out of the refrigerator for too long. So how long can yogurt sit out?
Let’s find out!
How Long Can Yogurt Sit Out?
Checking the expiration date is a good place to start to determine if your yogurt is good. Most yogurts have a ten-day shelf life. However, the yogurt does not actually expire until another two weeks after that date. But to determine how long can yogurt sit out, we need to pay attention to temperature.
If the room temperature is between 40 to 90 degrees, it is advisable to dispose of the yogurt after two hours because bad bacteria has already started to develop.
If the temperature is above 90, then it is best you throw out the yogurt after one hour of being exposed.
How To Tell If your Yogurt Has Gone Bad
The first thing you want to do is to pay attention to the smell of your yogurt; if you notice a change in the smell of your yogurt- more sour than normal- best to toss it. Also, if it looks discolored- yellowish, throw it out!
Try a dip test, take out your spoon and scoop out a little quantity of the yogurt, if it turns out watery then it has gone bad. The yogurt has separated. Obviously, you do not want to eat spoiled yogurt on purpose, but if you are eating it and notice it has beyond the normal sour taste, then it has gone bad. Another good clue? Mold! It will likely develop on the underside of the cover so look before you bite.
What Happens If you Eat Bad Yogurt?
It’s not so easy to say what exactly would happen right after you take bad yogurt as different people have different immune systems and different tolerance levels and the degree of reaction might vary from person to person. However, you are likely to get a stomach ache at the very least. You may also have diarrhea, stomach cramps, or vomiting in severe cases.
How To Preserve Your Yogurt
The first way to preserve your yogurt is to keep it sealed until the time you are ready to eat it. Once it is opened, it will last between 3 and 4 days in the refrigerator.
The only way to keep your fresh is to keep it in the refrigerator between 35-40 degrees.
Conclusion
How long can yogurt sit out? If it is between 40 and 90 degrees, for 2 hours. If it is over 90 degrees, then under an hour. You should be safe eating yogurt up to 2 weeks beyond the expiration date, but use our tips for examining the yogurt before you eat it. We hope this helped!
Leave us a comment if you know a good homemade yogurt recipe! You may also like reading What Does Cottage Cheese Taste Like?