I don’t know about you, but I really like to do proper food scheduling. How do you do that? Well, if you have a habit of eating boiled eggs, you can boil lots of them and prepare them to take for lunch daily.
However, it happens to forget them back in the fridge, and soon after, you find yourself dealing will extra hard-boiled eggs. What to do? Throw them away or give them another chance? After all, how to know whether the hard-boiled eggs have gone bad or not?
If you prefer boiled eggs as a snack or a primary source of protein in your diet, you should learn everything about storing them, checking their freshness, and making them in a batch to have them ready and fresh when cravings are coming along.
Either way, you must learn everything about shelf life, storage, and signs of hard-boiled eggs going bad.
Learn To Store Boiled Eggs
When it comes to storing hard-boiled eggs properly, the “where” aspect is the easiest yet most essential part. Hence the apparent answer is the fridge.
Tip: For maintaining the freshness and best results, make sure you store hard-boiled eggs in the main body of the refrigerator and not the door.
Now, let’s talk about the “how” topic, considering there are a few essential points that you might be interested in. If you are going to use this type of food, eggs should be tightly packed and sealed for starters. Therefore, the easiest way to check this is by using freezer bags or airtight containers.
Peeled Or Unpeeled Eggs?
Now, let’s clarify the shells-on or peeled aspect. The best thing to do is to peel the egg right after cooking and cool it down. On the other hand, unpeeled hard-cooked eggs will stay fresh much longer. That’s for sure.
Consequently, you need to keep in mind what you value more: whether the storage time or convenience. Obviously, you can mix these eggs and store them according to their freshness period. It depends on how you prefer to keep the eggs for later meals.
If you like to make things easier for later dishes and peel your eggs right away, you might be interested in finding tips and tricks to make these protein sources last longer. So here are the best ways that are worth testing out.
- The first thing you can do to keep peeled eggs longer is submerging them in water. Remember to change the water daily. Secondly, place a wet paper towel or two right on the top of the eggs. It is vital to cover the container to make peeled eggs stay fresh. So if you’re going to boil the eggs, peel them right away, and then store them in the fridge, try this tip.
- Secondly, if you prefer freezing the hard-boiled eggs, you should think twice. Freezing the hard-boiled eggs is not recommended. However, you can freeze some salads that contain cubed or sliced eggs in different cases, and the ingredients will stay reasonably well preserved.
How Long Do Hard Boiled Eggs Last?
There is a valid philosophy regarding the process of boiling eggs. According to food enthusiasts and scientists, you may store hard-boiled eggs for around a week. If you have been studying this topic already, you might already know about this exact period.
Be Aware!
This “safe to eat week” applies only to unpeeled eggs. Conversely, peeled eggs cannot retain that good quality for extended periods. Peeled eggs will be safe to eat for at least 2 or 3 days when it comes to peeled eggs.
Personal opinion: If it’s not too much of a hassle, try and peel the eggs on the same day you plan to eat them.
Signs To Tell Hard-Boiled Eggs Are Safe To Eat or Bad
Let’s recap. When stored in the fridge, you can prolong the eggs’ life for up to one week. Right? But 7 days from when?
Well, the best bet is to date these eggs before refrigeration. It makes sense to add a label with the dates on the storage containers. This way, you cannot forget how long these foods have been stored there. If you fail to label them, apply these tips and tricks to check if hard-boiled eggs are safe to eat.
Sniff The Eggs
First thing to do is sniff the eggs. Check if there is an unpleasant odor, as this indicates rotten eggs. The fragrance is the best indicator of possible spoilage. If the eggs smell like sulfur or have a rancid odor, discard them immediately. Seemingly, stop consuming those eggs if there are any signs of contamination.
Green or black spots
You may also look for possible shady spots on the eggs. If there are green or black areas are on the egg surface, you should not consume them. These might be signs of fungal or bacterial contamination.
The greenish ring around the yolk
I bet that lots of you readers have sometimes wondered about the greenish ring around the yolk. You should not worry about it, as the egg is still good to eat. The green circle is the result of two substances interacting. In most cases, the ring appears due to overcooking and not cooling the eggs enough.
The Benefits Of Eating Hard-Boiled Eggs
Eggs are a universally loved food. There is no surprise, considering their tons of benefits:
Eggs Are Great On Weight Loss
Eggs are excellent protein sources; one large hard-boiled egg contains only 78 calories. Therefore, they are perfect snacks to chow when you have little time and the hunger strikes. Furthermore, eggs are excellent boosters for the metabolism and help burn a significant amount of calories based on the “thermic effect on food.”
Eggs Prevent Hair Loss
You might have read about using eggs as the main ingredient in homemade hair masks. Do not hesitate to eat hard-boiled eggs if you look for a healthy headdress. Like biotin and B vitamins, the vitamins in eggs are responsible for hair and nail growth.
FAQ
Let’s not finish this discussion without checking out the most frequently asked questions. With their answers, of course.
Q: How to know hard-boiled eggs are perfectly cooked?
A: A great trick to tell if hard-boiled eggs are perfectly cooked is spinning them in a pot full of water. What you want is an egg that does not wobble when spun and an egg that stops from spinning as soon as you press the finger on it. If the egg is under-cooked, it will spin slowly and wobble due to the soft fluid inside.
Another easy way to control the boiling time of an egg is by using a food thermometer. Just press this cooking tool into one of the eggs, and if it indicates between 158 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit, then this is the sign of removing the eggs from the heat.
Q: Why do some eggs float?
A: There is a lot of speculation regarding the floating eggs. Why do they float when cooking? Does it mean that a hard-boiled egg is done cooking? Well, it turns out that the explanation is simpler than you might think. The egg is just old but still safe to use.
Q: Is it safe to eat hard-boiled eggs that are not entirely cooked?
A: Yes, you can safely eat a medium or soft-boiled egg. Many people prefer a softer boiled egg that needs only five minutes to cook. Any less than this cooking time, you risk eating an egg that is most likely undercooked. You should never eat a raw egg, as it can be a dangerous source of salmonella.
Bottom Line
If you handle and store hard-boiled eggs appropriately, they can stay fresh for about a week. Make sure you cool them down for two hours before storing them. Store the boiled eggs unpeeled inside an airtight container or an egg carton for the best freshness. Keep these tricks as a secret weapon in reaping the many benefits of this nutritious food.