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Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Create an account r/traderjoes Posted by3 years ago Archived  So, I've yet to try a TJ premade salad, but it seems like it would be a good pick for my work lunch. My question is how long would they keep in the fridge? I generally go grocery shopping once a week, and I doubt one I bought on Saturday or Sunday would last until Friday, but would they at least last 2-3 days? Would love to hear others' experiences with this. Thanks! This thread is archived New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast level 1 I don't know if it's just my store but whenever I buy any produce, they last a max 3 days from TJ level 1 IMO it depends on the salad and what's in it. The salads that have leafy lettuces or spinach tend to get slimy and very wilty in a couple days. The ones that are more shredded cabbage last longer for me. The cabbage is a little sturdier. 2-3 days should be do-able but the leafy ones will start to have sticky bits in the lettuce. level 2 Agreed! I just figured this out so I stopped buying bagged lettuce with spinach. I've had better luck with the chopped salads. Has lasted 2 days so far. level 1 Trader Joe’s bagged salads barely make it to the use-by date. Now that may be typical for any bagged salads, I don’t buy any others. I only buy what I will use within 2 days of purchase. level 1 I haven’t had much luck with them. I stopped buying them because the lettuce doesn’t survive more than a couple days. Wilted lettuce just doesn’t make a salad appealing anymore.
level 1 They have Use By dates on them. We aim to use them at the latest one day before they expire. level 1 The ones in the ready-to-eat section (not with the produce, but where the salads and wraps are) usually keep into the week. I’ve gotten them on the weekend before and I’ve had them keep up till about Thursday in a week. You can also check through the stacks to see if any have a later use by date. I usually pull from a bit back in the fridge to ensure a temperature-steady one, then pack it in my insulated bag for the trip home, then straight to the fridge until I pack it for lunch later that week. level 1 2-3 days has been my experience. There are some with a lot of cabbage (crunchy slaw, Chinese style chicken) tend to hold up a little better, so you can aim to eat those later in the week. Something like the BBQ chicken salad I would always have to eat the next day or it turned to goo. level 1 I buy the Mexicali Chicken salad; lasts over a week. Delicious! level 1 Yes 2-3 days would be fine, look for one with furthest away sell by date on it. There is a “broccoli and kale slaw salad kit” in the produce section that is very sturdy since it doesn’t have leafy greens, i don’t like the dressing that comes with it (too sweet) but one bag is easily two very generous salads, just add in some canned chickpeas or the frozen edamame level 1 I have had many a trader joe packaged salad go bad on me. But the kale chicken one seems to last a long times. I have eaten it 2 days after the date and it is still good. I am always smelling it before I eat though! :) level 1 Many weeks we buy exclusively TJ stuff for lunch. Out of 5 days I'll get 3 salads and 2 other things like a frozen meal, the chicken or egg salad for a couple days of sandwiches, or the Tikka masala from the refrigerator section. Lettuce browns pretty fast on the iceberg/ romaine based ones IME. Others like the broccoli kale slaw one or the orzo based Greek one (sorry I forget exact names!) last longer so I'll have those last. Here’s all you need to know about the shelf life and spoilage of chicken salad. Learn how long chicken salad lasts, how to store it, and how to tell if it’s spoiled. You have a bunch of leftover chicken salad, and you’re wondering how many days you have before it spoils. How long does chicken salad last? Or perhaps you’re considering doubling your usual recipe, but you’re not sure if you’ll finish it before it goes bad or if you can freeze it. Sounds familiar? If so, this article is for you. Let’s jump right in. Table of Contents
Chicken salad lasts 3 to 4 days if you keep it refrigerated and in a sealed container. And if it’s unrefrigerated for longer than two hours, it’s not safe to eat anymore, and you should discard it. That’s the time that it stays safe for. The second issue is how long the salad retains good quality, and it all depends on the ingredients. If it’s a mayo-based chicken salad, it’ll likely taste quite alright for the whole period. But if the dressing is oil-based (e.g., vinaigrette), the salad’s quality after 3 to 4 days might not be nearly as good as it was right after mixing all the ingredients together. If it’s a salad with high moisture content, the veggies might wilt and lose their crunch after a couple of days. For some people, those qualities are important; for others, not so much. Finally, if your chicken salad includes any ingredients that rapidly lose quality, it might be good for only a day or two. The same is true for tuna salad, pasta salad, and others. Related: How long does pasta salad last in the fridge? Tip If you’re not okay with eating a soggy chicken salad with soft veggies, try to finish yours within two to three days for the best quality. How Long Can Chicken Salad Sit Out?You should discard your chicken salad if it sits out for more than two hours. If it’s a hot summer day and the temperature is above 90°F (32°C), that period is cut in half to about an hour. That’s because bacteria multiply rapidly in temperatures between 40°F (4°C) and 140°F (60°C), also known as the danger zone. And after the mentioned period, the bacteria levels could get to the point they can cause illness. Now, say you want to bring that salad with you on a picnic. There are two ways you can go about that. First, you can use a portable fridge. If you’re going on picnics often, you could get a lot of mileage out of one. The second one is to simply eat the salad within two hours of prepping it or taking it from the refrigerator. In this case, you discard any leftovers because they weren’t properly refrigerated and sat outside for way more than two hours. How To Store Chicken SaladYour chicken salad should sit in the fridge, sealed tightly in an airtight container. If yours is store-bought, and you can’t reseal it easily, transfer any leftovers into a food container and refrigerate. If your salad contains lots of greens (like lettuce, spinach, or kale), use a bigger container and avoid squeezing in as much as you can into a single one. This way, the veggies won’t wilt as quickly and will retain quality for longer. As usual, if you’re not going to finish the contents of a container in one go, always use clean tools when serving the salad, and never double-dip. By following this rule, you avoid microbial contamination that might cause the chicken salad to grow mold prematurely. What if those couple of days in the fridge aren’t long enough for you? Is freezing chicken salad your way out? Can You Freeze Chicken Salad?Unfortunately, freezing chicken salad isn’t a good idea in most cases. The thawed chicken salad won’t look or taste nearly as good as a fresh one. It will be safe to eat, obviously, but its quality really suffers in the process. When it comes to freezing this salad, here’s what’s likely to go sideways:
As you can tell, there’s not much good that can come out of freezing a chicken salad that you whipped or bought. The good news is that cooked grains (e.g., rice or quinoa) and cooked chicken freeze well. You can take advantage of this by prepping more grains or chicken than needed (e.g., twice as much) and freezing the extra. This way, when you want to make the salad, you thaw the chicken and grains, and prep only the veggies, fruits, and dressing. That speeds things up at least a bit, plus the salad you end up with is actually tasty. How To Tell If Chicken Salad Is Bad?Discard your chicken salad if:
Besides the above, pay attention to the moisture that tends to gather on the bottom of the container. That’s especially true for salads with an oil-based dressing. If there’s lots of water, and that salad already sits in the fridge for like 4 days, consider discarding it for safety reasons. That liquid is a great place for any bacteria to grow and multiply, and consuming that might not be the smartest thing to do. Tip If your salad gets watery quickly, consider storing it without the dressing and storing the salad dressing separately. Or whipping a new portion of the dressing anytime you want to eat the salad, if feasible. This way, that salad might retain quality and safety for longer. Last but not least: when in doubt, throw it out. Chicken Salad Shelf Life and Spoilage SummaryThank you for reading this short guide on chicken salad. Let’s recap what we’ve talked about above:
How long can I keep chicken salad in the refrigerator?It's tempting to stir up a big batch so that we can enjoy leftovers for a few days. But how long is it safe to keep chicken salad on hand? The short answer is to store chicken salad in a sealed container in the fridge or cooler for no more than four days.
How long do Trader Joes salad kits last?Properly stored, an unopened bag of prewashed salad mix will usually keep well for about 7 to 10 days in the fridge (or the date on the package, if earlier).
Can I eat Trader Joes salad after best by date?Many lettuce' can carry bacteria that will make you sick once they go, so if you look at the salad greens and think “they still look good" they are fine to eat, but if any has gone to mush dont pick it out.
How can you tell if chicken salad has gone bad?If you see mold or any kind of growth on your chicken salad, or it has an off color, it's probably safest to throw it away. The most prominent sign of trash-ready salad will be the smell; Chicken salad that has gone bad will smell off and should be discarded immediately, per eHow.
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How long does Trader Joes chicken salad last in the fridge?
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