How Long Does Egg Salad Last: Be it for a picnic or breakfast, egg salad is a favorite go-to for a quick treat. But do you know how long egg salad lasts? What is the best storage place for egg salad? How to find out whether egg salad has gone bad? Let’s find answers to all your questions through this blog on “How long does egg salad last”.
Egg salad is a type of salad that is made up of eggs as the main ingredient and various other ingredients such as onions, cucumbers, mayonnaise, etc. It is a nutritious meal that can be eaten on its own or with bread, crackers, or veggies. There are no set rules for making egg salad, the quantity of salt and pepper can be controlled to make it spicy or mild.
- Does Egg Salad Go Bad?
- How Long Does Egg Salad Last?
- What Can You Substitute for Eggs?
- How Long Does Egg Salad Last at Room Temperature?
- How Long Does Egg Salad Last Inside a Fridge?
- How To Store Egg Salad?
- How to Tell If Egg Salad Has Gone Bad?
- Interesting Facts About Egg Salad
- What Are the Dangers of Bad Egg Salad?
- Can I freeze an egg salad?
- Why Does Egg Salad Turn Bad Faster Than Other Foods?
- Can you leave egg salad out overnight?
Does Egg Salad Go Bad?
Yes, egg salad contains ingredients that are highly susceptible to bacterial contamination, so it does go bad.
Egg salads usually contain ingredients like tomatoes, onion, mayonnaise, cucumber, and potato that can be contaminated easily by bacteria. Egg salad can go bad if kept at room temperature for a long time. The process of contamination speeds up when you keep the egg salad at warm temperatures. Later on in this article, we will find out about shelf life and the best storage tips for egg salad. Keep on reading!
How Long Does Egg Salad Last?
Egg salad is a perishable delicacy. Egg salad can be made quickly, but it can go bad in just a few hours. The shelf life of an egg salad depends on several factors, including temperature, conditions of storage, and even the ingredients used in the preparation of egg salad. Egg salad contains many uncooked ingredients, like vegetables, which makes the salad go bad within a few hours.
The shelf life of egg salad changes according to the type of salad you make. If your egg salad is made with fresh eggs, mayonnaise, celery, and onion (the classic recipe), then it can last for only 2 hours on the counter. It will last about 4 days in the fridge before going bad. Salads made with hard-boiled eggs remain edible for a longer duration because they don’t contain raw yolks that can spoil quickly.
| Type | Counter | Fridge |
|---|---|---|
| Egg Salad | 2 hours | 3 – 4 days |
How Long Does Egg Salad Last at Room Temperature?
The temperature has a high influence on the shelf life of an egg salad. An unrefrigerated egg salad would not last long on the counter. Your food will not last long in the summer. The hotter it is, the faster the salad gets spoiled. Be aware that food is vulnerable to various elements in a room environment. You should not store egg salad outside the refrigerator unless you have a way to shield your salad from heat, moisture, water, and bacteria.
How Long Does Egg Salad Last Inside a Fridge?
Cooling is the perfect way to preserve an egg salad. The colder the climate, the longer the egg salad stays fresh. An egg salad will last for about 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator given it’s properly sealed and packed.
When you’re outside, egg salad’s shelf life gets even shorter. The heat doesn’t allow your egg salad to last long unless you have an insulated lunch box. Thus, to prevent spoilage, it’s advised to eat the egg salad as fast as you can. To be safe, if the egg salad no longer smells nice after being left in the open for a while, you should not eat it.
How To Store Egg Salad?
Let’s see how to store egg salad properly for it to have a maximum shelf life and the best flavor:
- Keep the Moisture at Bay: Entry of moisture can cause spoilage of egg salad. It’s recommended to store your egg salad in a container that has been lined with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This will seal and preserve the egg salad from moisture without affecting its flavor.
- Add Lemon Juice or Vinegar: While storing, add some lemon juice or vinegar to your egg salad to increase its shelf life. This will slow down bacterial growth and will protect your egg salad from getting spoiled.
- Use Airtight Containers: To preserve the freshness, store your egg salad in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. In comparison to a regular box, an insulated container or aluminum foil can sustain your egg salad’s freshness for a longer duration. This is especially helpful if you are going on a picnic or someplace where refrigeration is not an option.
- Store in the Fridge: If you are not using it right away, refrigerate the egg salad. The fridge is the best place to store your egg salad because here you don’t have to add any additional ingredients for storage either — egg salad is perfect as-is.
Tip – Make sure that the container is tightly sealed, and eat the egg salad before it reaches its five or six-hour mark. It’s always better to consume fresh food- as soon as possible after preparing it.
Read More:
How to Tell If Egg Salad Has Gone Bad?
Take into account that egg salads are made from fresh or uncooked components. So, you must quickly consume the egg salad right after you have cooked it. If you had stored the egg salad for some time, then check for the following things before consuming it:
- Sour Smell: The easiest thing to do is to give egg salad a little sniff to check if it has gone bad. If the egg salad smells sour, it won’t be considered edible.
- Mold Growth: You can tell that an egg salad is spoiled if there is a visible mold appearance or a change in the texture. Spoiled egg salad may also appear slimy or green in color.
- Bad Taste: If everything else seems fine, try a small bite of your egg salad. Simply put, if it tastes bad, it’s time to toss it out.
Even if there are no visible signs of spoilage, it is best to throw the egg salad away after a maximum of 5 days and not rely on any of these signs.
Interesting Facts About Egg Salad
Egg salad is a staple picnic dish with lots of nutrients. Let’s see some of its interesting health benefits:
- Egg salad contains lots of eggs, which are high in protein, vitamins A, B6, B12, E, etc. Hence, this dish is tasty as well as healthy.
- Classic egg salads contain the most protein, with nearly 10 grams per 1/2-cup serving, or about 20% of your total daily requirement.
- Simple homemade egg salads pack about 220 total calories per 1/2-cup serving.
- Eggs contain lecithin, which helps lower cholesterol levels when consumed regularly.
To know more about different salads and their storage practices check out our article on Can You Freeze Potato Salad as well and resolve your doubts.
FAQs on Does Egg Salad Go Bad?
1. What Are the Dangers of Bad Egg Salad?
Just like eating other spoiled foods, eating a rotten egg salad can cause food poisoning. There is a risk of having diarrhea, vomiting, fever, nausea, tiredness, stomach cramps, etc.
No, egg salad should not be frozen. Freezing will ruin the taste of your egg salad. It’s recommended to keep the egg salad at a temperature of less than 40 °F to prevent bacterial growth. Thus, to keep your salad fresh for a longer time, keep it in the fridge, not the freezer!
3. Why Does Egg Salad Turn Bad Faster Than Other Foods?
Salads in general have a much faster rate of spoilage than other foods because of their raw ingredients. Also, egg salads have a higher moisture content, which provides an ideal environment for bacteria to grow even at room temperature.
4. Can you leave egg salad out overnight?
No, you should never leave cooked eggs or egg dishes out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours. Remember the bacteria that can cause illness to grow quickly at warm temperatures.
Conclusion
Hope this article helped you to understand how long an egg salad lasts and how to store it to prolong its shelf life. Take caution with all signs of deterioration so as not to succumb to food poisoning from eating spoiled foods. Follow our other blogs like Can Peanut Butter Go Bad to get the latest updates on the shelf life of various dishes. Eat healthy and stay healthy!