Eggs are a low-cost source of vitamins and healthy fats. They can also raise your good cholesterol. Keep hard boiled eggs in your refrigerator for a quick protein boost. They’re great for your health and your budget.
How long are hard boiled eggs good for? About a week if left in the shell and less than 24 hours if peeled.
Do Raw Eggs Expire? Does It Matter? Yes!
Before we get to hard-boiled eggs, we need to make sure that your eggs are good before you hard boil them.
The sell-by date on egg cartons indicates the date the eggs were graded and packed. Per the Illinois Department of agriculture, eggs can be used for several weeks past the sell-by date if properly refrigerated.
Raw eggs need to be stored at 41 degrees or less, and will stay fresher if stored in their container.
The float test is not reliable. The only way to be absolutely certain that an egg is fresh is to crack it open and take a whiff.
If it smells bad, it’s bad. Test one egg in the carton. If the smell is off, discard the whole carton.
Handling fresh eggs correctly will make it easier to prepare delicious hard boiled eggs.
If you’re lucky enough to have a source for farm fresh eggs, be aware than these are not the best candidates for hard boiled eggs as they will be really difficult to peel once cooked. Farm fresh eggs should be refrigerated for at least ten days before boiling.
How Long Are Hard Boiled Eggs Good For?
Once they’ve been boiled for at least six minutes and allowed to cool, peel immediately because the shell is easier to remove at this time.
However, hard boiled eggs left in their shells will keep up to one week. After they’ve been peeled, you’ve got twenty four hours.
Storing hard boiled eggs in their original container, the shell, to prevent odor absorption. How long is a hard boiled egg good for? Not long, if it tastes like the garlic next door.
This is not an indication that the egg is bad. Green rind is caused by a combination of sulfur in the egg white, iron in the yolk, and too much cooking heat and time.
Many people peel hard boiled eggs and are dismayed to find a green rind on the outer layer of the yoke.
However, if you find that the center of the yolk is gooey or gelatinous, that egg must be discarded. There are plenty of suggestions for hard boiling (or cooking) eggs in other mediums than hot water.
When cooking, it’s important to consider the “mess to success” ratio. Having eggs boil over and make a mess on your cook top is a frustrating event.
Microwaving eggs can be dangerous as they have a tendency to explode.
Watching eggs rupture and make a disaster of your oven can be a dangerous nightmare. Depending on your experience as a cook, boiling might be the safest way to start out.
How To Store Hard Boiled Eggs
If you can use your eggs right away, they’re easier to peel as soon as they’ve cooled. The egg will contract within the shell as it cools.
It’s important to remember that even with the shells on, eggs absorb odors, so save the egg container and keep your hard boiled eggs in them to keep them fresh.
Should you open the refrigerator and realize you’ve forgotten which eggs are boiled and which aren’t, spin the egg on a flat surface until it turns on its own. Then stop the egg with a light touch.
- Hard boiled eggs will stay put.
- Raw eggs, still liquid in the middle, will try to keep turning.
- Another option is to shake the egg and listen for sloshing.
Hard boiled eggs are a great convenience food to keep in your refrigerator and you can boil one egg or twelve for the same amount of energy.
However, there is one lingering question to consider. Can eggs be frozen? Cook them carefully, store them cold, and enjoy!
