How Long Do Hard Boiled Eggs Really Last? (2024)

FAQs

How Long Do Hard Boiled Eggs Really Last? ›

Information. Hard cooked eggs can be stored in the refrigerator up to seven days, either left in their shells or peeled. Make sure eggs are refrigerated within two hours after cooking, and don't leave refrigerated cooked eggs out at room temperature for more than two hours.

The FDA recommends consuming hard-boiled eggs within a week, and two weeks is well past that deadline. Since spoiled hard-boiled eggs can make you sick, it's best to be safe and toss out any leftover hard-boiled eggs that have been in the fridge for more than one week.

A quick beginner's tip is that hard-boiled eggs can be preserved up to 7 days in the refrigerator. If you are thinking about using your hard-boiled eggs in a recipe, the trick is to use old eggs. When they get older, they tend to lose moisture through their shell.

If you're wondering if it's safe to eat those eggs that've been left out at room temperature, you should know that hard-boiled eggs outside of the refrigerator won't last for more than two hours, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Cook the hard boiled eggs up to 5 days in advance.

Store the peeled eggs in an airtight container in the fridge.

Hard cooked eggs can be stored in the refrigerator up to seven days, either left in their shells or peeled. Make sure eggs are refrigerated within two hours after cooking, and don't leave refrigerated cooked eggs out at room temperature for more than two hours.

“If the egg is discolored or has a greenish ring around the yolk, it's likely gone bad.” A bad hard-boiled egg may also have a sulfuric smell, adds Marcus. The bottom line on hard-boiled eggs: “If the egg is slimy, mushy or smells bad, toss it,” says Steele.

According to The American Egg Board, hard-boiled eggs that are in their shell will last for up to one week. You should store hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator with their shells on, if possible. The shell will keep them fresh for longer and helps prevent the eggs from absorbing any odors in the fridge.

“When an egg is cooked for too long and/or at too high a temperature, the sulfur in the egg white combines with the iron in the yolk and creates ferrous sulfide, which has a green tint,” she explains. Unfortunately, this chemical reaction—which scientists call denaturation—isn't limited to hard-boiled eggs.

It's best to store hard-boiled eggs with the shells on, as the outer layer serves as a protective barrier. Plus, they're easier to peel once they've chilled in the fridge for a while. It's a win-win! Transfer hard-boiled eggs to a bowl of cold water immediately after cooking to help them cool down faster.

How long will a boiled egg last without refrigeration? ›

unrefrigerated? As with all cooked foods left out at room temperature (aka the Danger Zone), hard-boiled eggs are no longer deemed safe after two hours. Instead, drop the eggs post-boil in a bowl of ice water, and transfer the cooled eggs to the fridge for longer shelf-life.

The dreaded grey ring on boiled eggs, explained

Although it may look unappealing, the USDA assures us that the green colour is safe to consume!

Can You Reboil an Egg? Do you have a strong suspicion that you undercooked your boiled eggs, or did a crack tell you the batch wasn't quite done? As long as an egg's shell hasn't been cracked, it's perfectly fine to put it back in hot water and continue cooking it.

After boiling, let the eggs sit in the ice bath for at least 15 minutes, then peel them or refrigerate them (unpeeled) for up to seven days. The ice bath quickly cools the eggs, which prevents them from overcooking and prevents the dark ring from appearing on the outside of the yellow yolk.

Fresh eggs, with their smaller air sacs, are more likely to have a smooth ovoid shape when peeled, which looks more appealing in applications as deviled eggs. OFF-CENTER YOLK: Fresher eggs are more likely (though not guaranteed) to have centered yolks, again leading to more attractive deviled eggs.

The term deviled egg comes from an 18th-century culinary term that the Oxford English Dictionary originally used to describe a fried or boiled dish that was highly seasoned. and this was eventually used to also include spicy, condiment-filled dishes, as well.

"Those expiration dates are on some egg cartons to make sure that retailers don't keep eggs on shelves past a certain date," Maloberti says. "However, eggs can be safely eaten two to three weeks past that date. Depending on where [you live], the expiration date may be labeled as Sell By, Use By, Exp. By or Best By."

“As long as the egg hasn't gone bad, there's no reason you can't still enjoy it,” says nutritionist Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. That's right: You do not have to trash that carton of eggs just because it's past the sell-by date. You'll save money and eliminate food waste.

But they're not that different from "homemade" hard-boiled eggs, which last a week in the refrigerator, if left unpeeled. Pre-shelled hard-boiled eggs have a "best-by" date, which is usually seven days after the package has been opened. But always check the package to be sure.

The USDA sets forth food safety guidelines recommending that egg whites be stored at temperatures below 40°F and used within 2-7 days of opening.