When stored properly, hard-boiled eggs — peeled or unpeeled — can safely be kept in the refrigerator for approximately 1 week, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (7).
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. If the eggs have already been peeled, refrigerate them in a container or resealable plastic bag.
Hard-cooked eggs, which have been quickly cooled and placed in the refrigerator in their shells should be consumed within seven days. Peeled hard-cooked eggs stored in the refrigerator should be consumed within 48 hours due to the moist egg white surface being exposed and the potential of microorganism growth.
According to The American Egg Board, hard-boiled eggs still in their shell will remain tasty for about a week when properly stored (which means in a fridge that is no warmer than 40°F), but peeled eggs should be eaten the same day. The USDA, which is in charge of food safety, agrees.
Once the shells have been removed, place peeled eggs in a bowl and add enough cold water to cover them completely. Store the bowl, uncovered, in the fridge and freshen the water every day. Consume within two days of being peeled.
If you're wondering if it's safe to eat those eggs that's 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).
Smell test
One of the simplest and most reliable ways to tell whether an egg has gone bad is to smell it. A bad egg will give off a foul odor when a person cracks the shell open, according to the USDA. This smell will be present even if someone has already cooked the egg.
A greenish-gray ring may appear around a hard-cooked egg yolk. It's unattractive, but not harmful. The ring is caused by a chemical reaction involving sulfur (from the egg white) and iron (from the egg yolk), which naturally react to form ferrous sulfide at the surface of the yolk.
Peeled soft boiled eggs should be placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If they're peeled, hard-boiled eggs can be placed in a bowl of cold water for up to a week in the fridge, as long as you change the water every day. This keeps the cooked whites from drying out in the colder temperature.
Peeled hard boiled eggs can be stored in the refrigerator in a bowl of cold water to cover for about 1 week (change the water daily) – or in a sealed container without water (cover the eggs with damp paper towels) for the same length of time.
Eggs can legally be sold up to a month after the sell-by date, after which they are indeed illegal but still very much edible for another two weeks or so, longer if they're hard-boiled and kept in the shell.
Still, as long as they remain free of contamination from bacteria or mold, they may still be safe to eat for days or weeks longer. Eggs have an average shelf life of 3–5 weeks. With proper storage, most eggs are still safe to eat after 5 weeks, though their quality and freshness will likely begin to decline.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, eggs can be sold for up to 30 days after they were packaged. So when your eggs' expiration date has passed, they could be two months old—and still more than likely safe to eat.
This is because the egg white or “albumen” in a fresh egg has a relatively low pH level, making it acidic. When cooked, these fresh egg whites bond strongly to the inner shell's membrane. As an egg ages, the pH level rises and the inner membrane is less likely to bond to the albumen, so the shell peels off much easier.
Soft boiled eggs last for about 2 days refrigerated with the shell on. They don't save as long as hard boiled eggs, since the yolk is not fully cooked. We'd recommend making these “to order” since they're best warm. But if desired, you can save leftovers in the fridge.
When eggs are boiled for long, the yolk becomes paler in color and eventually turns a greenish-gray. This color occurs when you overcook the egg, as this makes the iron from the yolk react with the hydrogen sulfide from the white ( 9 ). While this might affect the texture and mouthfeel, it's safe to eat.
When water heats the egg, that air pocket expands and creates pressure inside the shell, which can crack it. Piercing it will relieve this pressure. Especially in older eggs—which are better for boiling because they are easier to peel—as they have more gas inside the shell and so crack more readily.
Black or green spots inside the egg may be the result of bacterial or fungal contamination of the egg. If you come across an egg with black or green spots discard the egg. Off color egg whites, such as green or iridescent colors may be from spoilage due to bacteria.
Eggs are one of nature's most nutritious and economical foods. But eggs can make you sick if you do not handle and cook them properly. That's because eggs can be contaminated with Salmonella, which are bacteria that make people sick.
While egg farmers supply a safe, clean, fresh product, it is possible for eggs to become contaminated by the food poisoning bacteria Salmonella. The good news is Salmonella is killed instantly at 74oC. So even if you are unlucky enough to get an egg with bacteria on it, the food will become safe by cooking it properly.
If it tilts upwards or even floats, it is old. This is because as an egg ages, the small air pocket inside it grows larger as water is released and replaced by air. If the air pocket becomes large enough, the egg may float.
So, when can babies eat eggs? Start offering eggs around the same time you start your baby on solid foods, after 6 months of age.
Eggs may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Egg is a common food allergen, so consider baby's risk factors and start with scant quantities of well-cooked egg (white and yolk) as some babies can have severe reactions to even the smallest amount of eggs.
With proper storage, eggs can last for at least 3–5 weeks in the fridge and about a year in the freezer. The longer an egg is stored, the more its quality declines, making it less springy and more runny.
You can probably eat those expired eggs and never look back. If refrigerated, eggs typically stay safe well after their expiration date. Regardless of what that date actually is, the optimal storage time for raw eggs in their shells, according to the USDA, is three to five weeks.