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How Long Do Hard-Boiled Eggs Last Outside The Fridge?
Hard-boiled eggs only last for about two hours if not stored in the fridge. On the other hand, if you store them properly in a refrigerator, boiled eggs can last up to a week. It is not safe to leave hard-boiled eggs at room temperature for an extended period of time because the warm temperatures can encourage the growth of harmful bacteria.
Whether hard-boiled eggs are peeled or still in their shells, properly stored eggs in a refrigerator should be consumed within a week of cooking. According to the U.S. Egg Board, hard-boiled eggs still in their shells will stay delicious for about one week if stored correctly (meaning in a refrigerator not warmer than 40degF), but peeled eggs should be eaten the same day. As long as its hard-boiled eggs are stored in a sealed container with a moist paper towel to prevent drying, hard-boiled eggs without the peels will keep about five days in a fridge. According to the Food and Drug Administration, you can keep cooked eggs in the fridge for up to seven days after cooking.
| Eggs | At room temperature (60-65°F) | In the refrigerator (32-34°F) |
| Hard-boiled eggs (unpeeled) | 2 hours | 7 days |
| Hard-boiled eggs (peeled) | 1-2 hours | 5 days |
The FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, advises that after you have cooked your eggs, you should immediately place them into an ice bath to shock and rapidly chill. Before you boil, discard any eggs with cracked shells or imperfections, advises the FDA.
Crack and peel eggs by immersing them under water, so the water can seep into the eggs membranes to easily separate shells. The shell will help to keep the eggs safe from bacteria, and may help keep it from picking up smells from the other foods in the fridge. This is common, as eggs purchased at a grocery store are protected against bacteria by the shell coating. During the cooking process, the protective coating on the shell is removed, making the eggs more vulnerable to the air and to harmful microorganisms.
By the way if you are interested in How Long Can Unpeeled Hard Boiled Eggs Sit Out, then check out my another article.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, cooked eggs are actually more vulnerable to bacteria contamination because the cooking process damages the protective layer on the shell. Once an eggs shell is cracked or has holes drilled into it due to the cooking process, the inside egg is exposed to outside air, which could bring in harmful bacteria looking for a host. Raw eggs have a thicker shell that protects them, keeping any harmful bacteria out of it, and the yolks safe to touch.
They do not last as long as raw eggs, as the protective coating on the shell is compromised in the cooking process, with exposed pores making it easier for bacteria to enter and contaminate the eggs. Because an eggs shell becomes brittle when cooked, you may leave them out of the fridge only a couple of hours before it goes bad. If you have left the eggs that were cooked solid at room temperature for longer than two hours, you will have to toss them because there may be unhealthy levels of bacteria inside. Well, if you are going to conceal Hard Boiled eggs for hunting, make sure to do it just before you start hunting, so the eggs are still in that two-hour window when you are found all of them, and they can be put back into the refrigerator for consumption later.
To learn about Can You Refrigerate Soft Boiled Eggs, then check out this article!
Once the eggs are cool, they should be placed into a container and placed in the refrigerator, unless you are using them right away. When it comes to storage methods, Glad also suggests keeping the hard-boiled eggs in an enclosed container of food in the fridge – if you are planning to take them on a road trip (to picnic, for instance), you should aim to keep them cool in insulated coolers or using frozen gel packs. If you are trying to keep things safe from contamination, you might want to stick to hiding plastic eggs filled with candy, or using the ones that are blow-up to deflate.
If you leave eggs in your fridge longer than a week, you are risking a variety of foodborne illnesses. If, by chance, you do end up eating an egg that has been left sitting in a dangerous area for longer than a couple hours, it is possible there are bacteria growing on the egg.
Not all eggs will give clear signs that they are going bad, but if an eggs flavor or texture has significantly changed, you will want to toss it. Frankly, if you are unsure if the egg has been sitting out too long, simply toss it – the risk is not worth it. If your egg is not quite as fresh, but still pretty good, it will sink in anyway, except that rather than sitting sideways, it will be standing up in a tiny bit. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the harder the skin is to remove, the fresher an egg is when boiled.
An egg that is extra-fresh when cooked will be more durable than one that is not, so aim to use older eggs sooner. Unpeeled eggs will last for a couple of days longer than peeled ones, so it may make more sense to leave them in their shells if you are making a big batch. If you are going to be storing peeled eggs, leaving the shells intact is the best way to ensure they will last. Some people suggest eating peeled eggs within one day to get the best results, but according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they should be safe for up to one week as well.
Or perhaps you simply wonder whether it is safe to make a large batch of your favorite late-afternoon snack or grab-and-go breakfast, and to enjoy hard-boiled eggs all week long.
Can you eat a hard-boiled egg that was left out overnight?
The possibility of harmful bacteria multiplying in hard-boiled eggs if they are kept out of the fridge more than two hours after boiling (or for one hour over 90°F), at which point the eggs become contaminated to the point where they are unsafe to eat and need to be discarded.
How long can you leave eggs unrefrigerated with Shell?
In order to prevent food from spoiling for more than two hours, it is essential that fresh produce that has not been preserved, regardless of whether it has been cooked, should be avoided being left in what is called “the danger zone” – temperatures that range from 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
How do you store unpeeled hard-boiled eggs?
Put the eggs in an airtight, structurally sound container. If you only have a resealable storage bag, that’s fine, but something sturdier and more durable will help keep the shells intact. Refrigerate unpeeled hard-boiled eggs for up to one week.