Signs That Your Egg Salad Has Gone Bad

Egg salad is one of those economical and endlessly-adaptable dishes that everyone needs in their recipe repertoire. Whether you're making a version inspired by the flavors of deviled eggs or incorporating healthy fats by adding avocado, the deli salad is a go-to for a reason. However, when it comes to hard boiled eggs, it can sometimes be tricky to tell exactly when your dish has past its prime.

According to Healthline, eating spoiled eggs can lead to foodborne illness, causing symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Other signs of foodborne illness can include abdominal pain, fever, body aches, and headaches, reported the FDA.

As is the case with many prepared foods, the best way to tell if egg salad has begun to spoil is by using your senses. According to AllRecipes, you can generally tell if a cooked egg has gone bad by smelling it. Like its raw counterparts, a rotten cooked egg will have an off, unpleasant aroma.

While smell can be a helpful tool in determining if your egg salad is still good, it's not a surefire method: Because cooked eggs can naturally have a sulphuric scent, the so-called "sniff test" isn't always foolproof, reported Southern Living. According to Still Tasty, other indicators of spoiled egg salad include changes in appearance or flavor, or mold growth.

As a general rule of thumb, egg salad lasts about three to four days in the refrigerator, kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, reported FoodSafety.gov. The site added that egg salad does not freeze well — so you're better off only making as much of the dish as you need.

Because bacteria thrives in warm temperatures, egg-based dishes should not be left out of the refrigerator for longer than two hours at a time, reported the FDA – and if temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, they should only be left out of refrigeration for one hour.