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It’s just about that time of year again when we feast on chocolate eggs. But that’s the thing with eggs – they are so versatile that you can delight everyone with fresh twists on your favorite, traditional way of eating eggs. Whether the weather is cool or hot, egg salad is everyone’s favorite, but how long does egg salad last?
Egg Salad is a casual classic recipe that is always a favorite at a picnic or on hot sunny days around the swimming pool. It’s easy to make, with boiled eggs being the main ingredient. When you’ve chopped the eggs up, it’s just a case of adding the mayonnaise, chopped onions, and lots of salt and pepper. It’s mouth-wateringly delicious on fresh bread, on crackers, or with an assortment of cold meats.
The results of consuming egg-salad that has gone off
You’re going to find out soon enough how long does egg salad last when you have been vomiting, have had stomach cramps, and fever – all symptoms of salmonella poisoning. These symptoms will begin to show up after about 12 to 72 hours after eating left-over egg salad that should have been thrown out. Salmonella is a common cause of food poisoning and your uncomfortable symptoms can last up to about 4 days.
How long is egg salad good for – Check your eggs
You have to be careful with the way you use eggs. Always open the egg-carton at the shop to make sure eggs aren’t cracked. Store them in a refrigerator at home and try and use them within the month. Also, all foods containing eggs should be served soon after preparation. However, cooked egg dishes can be refrigerated for serving later, but then upon reheating, the egg dish should be thoroughly reheated to 165° F before serving.
You have to be careful of egg salad though. If you used it for a picnic and it stood out in half sun-half-shade on a hot day, you’ll need to throw the remaining salad away. Egg dishes are vulnerable to bacterial contamination in warm temperatures.
Also, contamination happens quickly in warm weather and you can’t keep the egg salad at room temperature for a very long time. With hot weather, your egg salad can easily be the source of food poisoning. People are often inclined to think that it’s the mayonnaise in the salad that is the culprit but that isn’t really the case.
The mayonnaise that you buy is made essentially of egg yolk, water, and vegetable oil, so it’s not the mayonnaise that is the problem, but rather what you add in with the mayonnaise, such as the eggs. Things like chicken, tuna, and eggs are less acidic than mayonnaise and therefore more vulnerable to bacterial growth.
Make sure your egg salad is totally safe
Before you plan on making an egg salad and you’re worried about how long it will last, do a little bit of planning. If you’re preparing just for your own family, learn to make just enough egg salad so that there aren’t any leftovers. How many eggs for egg salad is a case of perhaps just boiling one egg per person. Egg salad, in any case, is always at its best when it is eaten soon after making it.
So for the question ‘how long does egg salad last in the refrigerator, properly stored, it will last 2 – 4 days in the refrigerator. At room temperature, it shouldn’t be left longer than 2 hours.
How long does egg salad last in the refrigerator and at room temperature?
If you were to make a big amount of egg salad on a Friday afternoon to ensure you have enough of it to last you the entire weekend, will it still be safe to eat on Sunday evening? If you were careful with your egg salad and you stored it properly in the refrigerator, there is absolutely no reason why your egg salad shouldn’t be good to be enjoyed on Sunday night.
In fact, if you stored your egg salad in a sealed container and put it in the refrigerator, it can last you 3 to 4 days. However, in the absence of a fridge, you can’t keep your egg salad for too long as bacteria grows very quickly at temperatures higher than 40 °F. If you made your egg salad for a picnic in the afternoon, without a refrigerator, you’d want to prepare your egg salad as close to the picnic time as possible and then discard any leftovers.
For your picnic, the best technique to store and transport your egg salad is to pack your salad in an insulated cooler box with ice packs to keep it nice and cold. At the picnic area, make sure the cooler box is in a shady spot and try and avoid opening and shutting the lid, allowing warm air to enter.
Can you freeze egg salad? And how long does it last?
Unfortunately, egg salad is not meant to be stored in the freezer. It won’t taste good, and mayonnaise doesn’t like to be frozen. Even in the refrigerator, it lasts only 3-5 days, properly stored in an airtight container.
