Egg salad is a versatile and delicious dish. It is also healthy and eggs are cheap to purchase. Therefore, it is great news to hear that if you store your egg salad properly – in a sealed tight glass container and placed in the fridge – then the egg salad should last up to 5 days.
How Long is Egg Salad Good For?
It is best to keep leftover egg salad in the fridge to ensure it will be safe to eat.
In the Fridge
Egg salad in the fridge is good for up to 5 days. This is similar to other mayonnaise based salad dishes, For example, chicken salad, potato salad, and tuna salad will also keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Room Temp
Egg salad should not be kept out at room temperature for longer than a couple of hours. After a couple of hours bacteria could begin to grow on egg salad making it spoiled and bad to eat.
How to Properly Store an Egg Salad in Your Fridge
The proper way to store egg salad in the fridge is in an airtight sealed container made of either reusable plastic or glass. Glass containers are the better option for egg salad.
Can You Freeze Your Egg Salad?
It is safe to freeze egg salad, however it is completely not worth it. The egg whites, yellows, and mayonnaise all freeze at different temperatures and therefore when they thaw back out it becomes a watery mess. It will not taste good after thawing and the texture will not be good either.
Signs That Your Egg Salad Has Gone Bad
There are a few ways to tell if your egg salad has gone bad. Sight and smell should be used first. However, if these are not possible you can taste a foul egg salad.
The Odor
Smell is the best, easiest, and safest way to detect if the egg salad has gone bad. Give it a good smell and see if there is a foul odor coming off the eggs. If the odor is unpleasant then your egg salad has gone bad.
Visible Mold
Colors other than white or yellow in an egg salad are bad. If the egg salad is molding, then that will be revealed in green or blue colors. Throw the egg salad out if it is visibly moldy.
The Taste
If there are no red flags from vision and smell, then you can go ahead and taste the egg salad. If there is a foul taste, then throw the egg salad out. Bad taste means the egg salad has spoiled.
Preservation Tips For Your Egg Salad
Plan Wisely
Measure the amount of egg salad you are going to need before making it. Planning the amount of egg salad you will use is going to result in less leftovers and less for you to worry about in the end.
Store Below 40 Degrees Fahrenheit
When planning ahead is not possible you can think about keeping the egg salad refrigerated as long as possible before serving. Egg salad will last 5 days in a fridge that is set between 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use Aluminum Foil or Insulated Lunch Box
Egg salad can be put into a big bowl and insulated with aluminum foil. However it is more preferable to place it into an insulated lunch box or glass container. The insulation will keep it good outside the fridge for a longer period of time
Lemon Juice or Vinegar Doesn’t Work
Some articles suggest that lemon juice or vinegar can help keep egg salad good for longer. However this has been proven to not be true.
- First, there is such a small amount that this small amount is not possible to achieve the preserving qualities. The amount you would need to put into your egg salad to keep it for longer will result in the egg salad tasting poorly.
- Second, these ingredients will not kill all the germs. Other bacteria can arise that are not killed by vinegar or lemon juice.
The Dangers of a Bad Egg Salad
As with all foods, you should err on the side of caution. If you think the egg salad is old or has been possibly stored wrong then it is best to throw the salad in the trash. It is very dangerous to eat bad egg salad. The bacteria that adds up can result in food poisoning.
Conclusion
Leftover egg salad may not be a bad thing! If stored properly in an airtight container an egg salad can last up to 5 days. It is not recommended that you freeze egg salad since it will result in a watery and gross mess once thawed. Therefore, plan the amount of egg salad you make accordingly, and if you make too much you will have 5 days of it being stored properly in the refrigerator.
