How Long Can a Sandwich Stay in the Fridge?

With Thanksgiving approaching, you will have lots of leftover food in the fridge that will make sandwiches for the next week or more, or at least you think.

The harmless sandwich can be purchased everywhere for your daily lunch. If you are on the road, in the office, or in a factory, the sandwich is the perfect lunch to energize you for the rest of the day.

The ubiquitous sandwich is the perfect stop-gap for so many of us. You can choose from filling and even have what seems to be a whole meal between two slices of bread.

This article will examine how long you can keep sandwiches refrigerated before you risk health problems.

Let’s get into it.

Do sandwiches have a long shelf life in the fridge?

It depends. But before we get to the answer, you may be reading that you can keep a sandwich for three to four days in the fridge, and it will be fine. This is misleading information that you should ignore.

Ok, so you make a sandwich from leftovers, say egg and salad, perfect, yes? You need to ask yourself how long was the eggs sitting out on the side while you enjoyed your other food from the day, Eggs and mayonnaise might make a whole delicious sandwich, but after three days, the bacterial load will swell to an enormous x 4000%

Yes, you got it right. Your egg mayonnaise sitting in the fridge will have increased its bacterial load by four thousand percent on day three. 

Your egg mayonnaise is no longer leftovers. It’s garbage and needs to be disposed of.

How about the trendy avocado on toast? After day three, the avocado will be brown and losing moisture, the bacterial load may still be tolerable due to its being a vegetable, but the look and texture are enough to make you vomit.

Is it okay to eat a 2-day old sandwich?

In general 2, day-old sandwiches left in the fridge are fine, but you need to know the age of the sandwich filling to be on the safe side.

Would you be tempted to eat a shrimp sandwich after two days in the fridge? If the shrimp were fresh, it would be perfectly safe.

If the shrimp was older than one day before making a sandwich and then being refrigerated, you could be running the gauntlet of contracting severe food poisoning.

Can you make a sandwich and leave it in the fridge?

Tes, absolutely but there is a caveat. The type of filling and the age of the filling will determine how long you can leave a sandwich in the fridge.

If you are confident, the ingredients are fresh, make a sandwich, wrap it in cling film or foil, and place it in the fridge. It will be fine the following day and possibly up to 3 days, depending on the filling.

The bread may absorb moisture from the sandwich filling, but this is ok, and the sandwich will be safe to eat.

How long can you keep a turkey sandwich in the fridge?

Everyone loves a turkey sandwich, but make the most of it within the first couple of days because tests show that the bacteria can increase to x 3000% after three days.

Where do these figures come from? USDA.

If you make a turkey sandwich, then store your turkey in an airtight container, it will keep longer, and you can tell if something is amiss with the turkey slices as you make your sandwich.

Turkey loaded with bacteria may not smell funky, but it will be slimy, and even your pet dog will turn their nose up at this food.

Can you freeze a sandwich

Freezing a sandwich can be a convenient way to enjoy a quick meal on the go. To properly freeze a sandwich, it’s important to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent any freezer burn.

Additionally, it’s best to consume the sandwich within 1-2 months to ensure the best taste and texture. When you’re ready to eat the sandwich, unwrap it and let it thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before eating.

Be aware that the bread of the sandwich may become soggy upon thawing so it’s best to re-heat it in the oven or microwave prior to eating.

Another way to avoid a soggy sandwich is to assemble it with condiments and toppings that do not get soggy when frozen, such as lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheese, etc.

How about the standard run-of-the-mill sandwiches?

It depends on what you term standard and run-of-the-mill. Let’s go for a regular tuna sandwich, the staple of many lunch boxes. 

Canned time has been processed and pasteurized, killing the bacteria and giving us a safe product. Still, the problem comes as soon as you open the can of tuna, drain the juice, and expose the tuna to bacteria, but no problem. It is between two slices of bread and in the fridge.

After day 3, start thinking about saying goodbye to your tuna sandwich. The bacteria has reached levels that the food is dangerous to eat.

How long can a cheese sandwich sit out?

Ah, cheese, safe and sound, the bedrock of sandwiches worldwide. There is some truth to that statement because it is a dry product if you use a cheddar type of cheese, and the sandwich will last for a week in wrapped and appropriately refrigerated.

It seems the perfect cheap way to keep the hunger pangs away if you have made a bunch of cheese sandwiches to feed the kids after playing or have been to a sports game. However, turn your back, and you could have a problem. Let’s explain this further.

The kids eat the cheese, and a few leftovers are perfect for work tomorrow. Sounds familiar?

If those sandwiches have been sitting on a countertop or table for two hours or more, they are considered garbage. It may seem harsh, but the cheese has been exposed to bacteria and could make you seriously ill.

Is it OK to consume food that’s been outside for two hours?

According to the USDA, food that has been out of the refrigerator for longer than two hours should be thrown away. Bacteria grow incredibly quickly at room temperature and can cause illness. It won’t be safe to reheat something that has sat at room temperature for more than two hours due to bacteria.

Is this overkill? It depends if you think botulism or salmonella is overkill. Food safety is a serious business; folks may become seriously ill every year from not taking the advice of scientists.

How long can a cold-cut sandwich last in the fridge?

It is hard to be specific, and here is the reason why. The article has already established that turkey (a cold cut) develops an enormous amount of bacteria in three days. Conversely, beef is perfectly safe after five days in the fridge.

There is a discrepancy between products that stay fresh longer, so there is no set rule for saying one cold cut is better than the other. It’s an individual case.

You should also base your assessment of how long a sandwich will last in the fridge based on the shortest shelf life of the product on your sandwich.

How do you maintain the quality of a sandwich?

It is a great question, and if you have ever eaten a soggy sandwich, you will know how unpleasant it can be, even after a beer or two.

Here are seven pro tips for the perfect refrigerated sandwich:

• Don’t palace salad on a sandwich. It will become limp and wet, soaking into the bread. If you like a salad on your sandwich, prepare a salad in a small sealed bowl, and at the time of eating your sandwich, assemble the salad on the bread.
• Place your protein in the center of the sandwich and workout from the center to the sides to prevent the protein from falling from the sandwich.
• Butter up or mayonnaise if that is your choice. Butter or mayonnaise gives a barrier to prevent moisture, which tastes wonderful on a dry sandwich.
• Keep the sandwich manageable. Think bite-size slices of bread; if you are not into sandwich etiquette, you will appreciate pickles from not dropping in your shirt pocket.
• Bread makes the difference. The firmness of the bread can make or break a sandwich, and soft bread will flop around. If the bread is too firm, you may have trouble taking a bite full.
• Sandwiches are about ratios. Get the ratios balanced for the perfect sandwich.
• Match the filling with the bread style, some fillings are pretty soft and require a firm bread, but a thick slice of beef and pickle works well with a medium-style bread.

Can I eat a week-old sandwich?

The question is, why would you want to? Ok, it is a valid question that deserves a valid answer.

According to Cornell University, depending on the filling and the fridge temperature, it’s feasible for a sandwich to be ok after four days.

According to a divorced professor, Ph.D. Randy Worobo. ( he may not be divorced, but why is he eating sandwiches after four days in the fridge)?

Final thoughts

Using leftovers is a smart move. Do you know Americans throw away 293 million dollars of food after each thanksgiving celebration?

If you are going to keep leftovers after a large meal, you should be commended. But place the leftovers in an airtight container and freeze immediately.

Keeping sandwiches in the fridge is standard practice for many of you and, by and large, a safe practice but be aware that sandwich contents with questionable use by dates could cause a health problem.

By the way, after two hours on a worktop in a room of 90℉, your food is considered garbage.