How long can boiled eggs be stored: in the refrigerator or without?

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Eggs began to be eaten several thousand years ago. Primitive people looked for the eggs of birds and mammals and consumed them raw. Until now, eggs are an indispensable product on our table. However, chicken eggs are considered the most popular. In order for chicken eggs to retain their freshness for a long time, you need to be able to store them correctly. In this article you will learn how and how long you can store eggs in the refrigerator, as well as several reliable, yet original ways to store eggs at room temperature.

The most important things about storing eggs

Do not store chicken eggs on the refrigerator door - constant movement and currents of warm air will significantly shorten their shelf life.
The best place to store eggs in the refrigerator is in the fruit and vegetable drawer. But don't stack too many rows on top of each other, as the bottom rows may crack.
Using folk remedies, it is theoretically possible to extend the shelf life of eggs to one year, but it is better to try to consume them within a month after laying.

How to properly store eggs

Since eggs can be eaten not only as an independent product, but also used for making pies, salads, cutlets, desserts, snacks and other dishes, many housewives try to stock up on chicken eggs for future use. Therefore, it is important to know how and how long you can store chicken eggs at home, so that such an indispensable product does not harm your health.

You can store chicken eggs either in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Moreover, the chosen storage method will not greatly affect how long eggs can be stored. At room temperature they can also be stored for quite a long time.

What affects the shelf life of eggs

The storage duration of boiled chicken eggs (CHE) depends on 5 factors.

The degree of freshness of the product before heat treatment

The sooner the egg gets from the chicken to the table, the longer the boiled egg can be stored. The causative agents of salmonellosis in fresh products are more often found in contaminants on the shell, but over time the bacteria end up inside and die only after prolonged heat treatment. Look at the production date of the product on the packaging and each piece and try not to buy copies that are older than 7-10 days.

Storage conditions for raw eggs

Without refrigeration, a product labeled “dietary” will last a week, “table” – 25 days. At a temperature of +2...+4 °C, the shelf life of the latter increases to 90 days. Please note that the indicated temperature range corresponds to the main compartments of the refrigerator.

The door is a couple of degrees warmer, and the eggs in the designated tray are stored worse. If you want to use the product after a month, transfer it to the “fresh zone”, where the temperature is maintained at 0 °C.

Egg freshness test

Shell condition

Open the package in the store and examine each KY. There should be no cracks on the surface. With damage, the risk of bacteria becoming trapped in the white and yolk increases. If you didn’t notice and bought it, eat the specimens with cracks first; don’t keep them for long, even at low temperatures. If you often break it during transportation, choose a brown shell, which is thicker and stronger than white.

Duration and method of cooking

It is better to cook hard-boiled eggs for 15 minutes. Boil already washed - with detergent for vegetables and fruits or soda. To prepare the KY, immerse it in cold water. When hot, the shell may crack due to temperature changes. Eat a soft-boiled dish as soon as possible. Do not leave for longer than 2 days at low temperatures and 12 hours in a warm place.

Egg boiling time

Storage conditions for cooked eggs

The longest shelf life (SH) is in the freezer. The taste will change after freezing, the texture will become “rubbery”, but in extreme cases this method can also be used. Slightly fewer QWs will lie in the depths of the refrigerator, and even fewer will remain on the door at room temperature.

The difference in SH due to different conditions is described in the table.

Condition after heat treatment	Shell	Where is it	How long is it stored, days
Hard-boiled	Whole	In the cool	14-20
In the warmth	2-3
Damaged	12 hours
In the cool	0,5-4
Soft-boiled	8 ocloc'k
In the warmth
Whole	12 hours
In the cool	2

How and how long to store eggs in the refrigerator

When storing in the refrigerator, do not place eggs in special compartments located on the refrigerator door. Eggs really like stationary storage conditions, and being on the door, the product will constantly come into contact with warm air currents, which means it will spoil faster. Store eggs in the refrigerator in a drawer designated for fruits and vegetables. This is the coldest and wettest part of the refrigerator. You can store chicken eggs on the door, but only if you will use them in the near future.

The optimal temperature for storing eggs in the refrigerator is 1-2°C. If eggs are bought in a store, you should not store them in the refrigerator for more than 1 month. Fresh homemade eggs can be stored for about 3 months.

Egg storage containers

Compartments with compartments in refrigerator doors are not suitable. You can take them out and put them on a shelf

It is important not to keep dirty eggs near boiled sausage, meat, or chicken. When the door is opened, a draft appears and germs fly around the chamber

It is advisable to pack the remaining products. If there are no mobile plates with cells, we recommend using egg trays and looking for other dishes.

Suitable container:

stands with dividers;
trays with dividers;
cardboard cassettes with cells;
bowls, buckets without lids.

Not suitable:

sealed containers;
plastic dishes;
plastic bags.

Do not cover containers with film, use dishes that are too tall, or fill large buckets. It is necessary to ensure free air circulation.

How and for how long to store eggs at room temperature

Fresh, recently laid eggs can be stored at home for 3 weeks. However, the room temperature should not exceed 20 degrees. In this case, the relative humidity in the place where the eggs lie should be set at 70-85%.

The most common ways to store eggs at home without a refrigerator are:

storing eggs wrapped in paper;
storing eggs in saline solution.

It is very good to store eggs at home in plain paper. To do this, wrap each egg in a separate piece of paper. Baking paper, newspaper or plain office paper will do. Place them in a basket and put them in the coldest place in the house.

A solution of table salt helps to keep eggs fresh perfectly. Simply dissolve 20 g of salt (1 tbsp) in a liter of water. Then dip the eggs into the solution and place the container in a cool, dark place. How many days can eggs be stored this way? It is known that salt is an excellent preservative; eggs can be stored in a salt solution in a room for up to 4 weeks.

Studying storage rules

There are several factors regarding the shelf life and safety of eggs:

quality of processing - hard-boiled or in a bag (poached);
shell integrity - processing only clean and whole specimens, which must be immersed in boiling water after they have been out of the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes;
production date, freshness;
storage.

Boiled eggs can be hard-boiled or poached. The greatest chance of lasting the longest is for hard-boiled products with intact shells, which are stored in the refrigerator. In this case, the shelf life will be from two to three weeks. A whole hard-boiled egg at room temperature will last much less, only 48-60 hours.

A cracked specimen with a hard-boiled yolk will last in the refrigerator for four days, but without a shell – only 12 hours. At room temperature, the period of use with any condition of the shell should not exceed 12 hours.

The storage standards are as follows. A product with a whole shell, but in a bag, will “live” no more than two days in the refrigerator and 12 hours outside its cool, dark walls. A soft-boiled product with a cracked shell or without it at all in any space will be suitable for only 8 hours. Then the spoilage process will begin.

If the goal is to extend the shelf life of a boiled egg, it is important to properly treat it with hot water. Just 10-11 minutes of cooking is enough to change the structure, taste and destroy pathogenic microbes and bacteria, including salmonella. All of the above is a guarantee of maximum long-term storage.

The product, boiled in a bag, that is, kept in boiling water for 5 to 8 minutes, should be eaten within two days after heat treatment. Even if it was stored in the refrigerator.

Storing boiled eggs in an apartment and in a private house differs.

The choice of storage options is small when it comes to a city apartment. The main task is to choose any dark and cool area, preferably without strong odors and unexpected temperature changes. It is unlikely that a balcony or loggia can be used for storage purposes due to the abundance of UV rays. The living room and the kitchen are also not suitable - it’s too warm there.

The best storage option is in the refrigerator. The more power the unit is endowed with, the better for all products, including boiled chicken eggs. Every refrigerator has a special compartment for eggs. However, it is designed for only a couple of dozen. In addition, it is located in a place that is not very favorable for the product - on the door. It constantly opens and closes. Thus, the products are subject to temperature changes.

The best solution would be to place them in the fruit compartment, after placing them in a container or other container.

A private house is a different matter. There are many more opportunities to find a suitable dark and cool place. A canopy, subfloor, basement and other utility rooms where the rays of the sun do not penetrate are suitable as a space that meets the listed requirements.

And since we’re talking about a private home, it’s worth adding that farm products last longer and better than store-bought ones. Especially if the latter did not arrive at the retail facility immediately, but after some time.

In shell or without, soft-boiled or with hard-boiled yolk? These are the questions asked by housewives who want to extend the shelf life of eggs in the refrigerator. Experts' answer: the longest preservation can be achieved if boiled eggs are placed in the refrigerator in a cool form in a whole shell.

To do this, it is important to follow the step-by-step instructions:

cook for at least 11 minutes;
cool after heat treatment in cold running water for 5-6 minutes;
wipe dry, otherwise bacteria will perceive the increased humidity as a signal to actively multiply.

After this, the boiled eggs are placed in an airtight container. It is better if the container is plastic or glass. These materials prevent the penetration of specific odors from the refrigerator that the eggs may absorb. Indicate the date of placement on the package. The control knob sets the heat mode from 2 to 4℃.

It is recommended to place the containers closer to the back wall of household appliances. It's cooler there. But it’s better to store raw ones in the door - they will last longer unspoiled.

Without shells, in optimal refrigerator conditions, boiled eggs will last no more than half a day. Then they will become dangerous to eat. And chicken egg poisoning, according to statistics, is one of the three most popular. Mushrooms are in second place, smoked meats, meat and fish products are in third place.

Russia is an Orthodox country where residents traditionally celebrate great church holidays. Easter is one of the main Orthodox events. And its important symbols are Easter cakes and boiled colored eggs.

It is not always possible to consume all boiled and prepared eggs in one day. In 70% of cases, housewives wonder how long boiled products will last. Answer: about two weeks, 10 to 15 days. But only if they are colored with natural substances like onion peels and beet juice.

You can save boiled specimens at room temperature without refrigeration. But not for long. Room temperature is one of the favorable conditions for the active growth of pathogenic microorganisms that penetrate the shell and trigger the process of product spoilage. In the kitchen, shelled eggs will last a maximum of three days at a temperature no higher than 19 degrees.

In practice, such indicators on the thermometer are not easy to achieve. Often the rooms are much warmer. Consequently, boiled eggs will begin to spoil 11-13 hours after they are boiled.

In addition to the fact that eggs are included in all kinds of dishes, due to their nutritional value and versatility, they are also very useful.

Eggs are a source of protein necessary for building the body and functioning of all its systems.
The product is rich in many useful substances. For example, vitamin A plays an important role in strengthening the eyesight, and vitamin B is good for the nervous system.
The trace elements contained in eggs are essential for human health. For example, potassium helps the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, and calcium strengthens bone tissue.
The organic compound choline affects liver function, improves memory, and also strengthens hair follicles.
Vitamin D is thought to play a role in preventing breast cancer in women.

A useful product is always at hand in every home.

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Especially a lot of eggs need to be boiled for the holiday.

A natural question arises: how to store boiled eggs longer?

If during the heat treatment of an egg its shell is partially cracked, such an egg should be one of the first to be eaten. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days, and an egg with a damaged shell will last for several hours on the table. After this you will have to throw it away.

Peeled hard-boiled eggs are stored for 3 days at low temperature, on the refrigerator shelf, closer to the freezer. If the temperature on the shelf is 5 degrees or more, then the peeled egg must be eaten within the next 20-24 hours.

Boiled eggs should be stored in the refrigerator in a glass or plastic sealed container, pre-cooled and wiped dry with a towel.

If you need to take eggs on a trip, it is not recommended to place them in plastic. It is best to place it in a paper bag or transport it in a food container.

Storing soft-boiled or “bagged” eggs, even in the refrigerator, does not exceed 2 days.

If during the process of boiling or peeling eggs an unpleasant odor is released, the purified product looks suspicious (grayish, bluish color), such eggs must be thrown away without regret, otherwise, in addition to poisoning, an infectious disease may also occur.

The rules for storing chicken eggs also apply to quail eggs. However, the sales period for quail eggs is 3 times longer than for laying hen eggs.

The shelf life of dyed Easter eggs is affected by the type of dye.

Natural dyes: onion peels, turmeric, beet and cranberry juice allow Easter eggs to stay fresh for up to 10-14 days if they are stored on the refrigerator shelf at the lowest temperature.
Chemical and any non-natural dyes reduce the shelf life of colored eggs to 1-2 days (only if the shell is not damaged).
Sealing with a thermal label makes boiled eggs good for 3-4 days.

The freshness of peeled hard-boiled chicken eggs can be preserved as follows. Place the eggs in a bowl of cold water until completely submerged. This way they won't dry out without their shells. The water must be changed daily to prevent harmful bacteria from growing on the eggs.

Place the peeled eggs in an airtight container and place damp paper towels on top of the eggs. This way, the eggs will retain their properties longer. It is recommended to change the paper towel container daily.

Hard-boiled eggs can be preserved in jars. To do this you need to take the following steps:

Prepare glass jars with lids and sterilize them in the oven. To do this, first wash the jars in hot soapy water and then rinse thoroughly. The container is placed on a baking sheet and kept in the oven for up to 30-40 minutes at a temperature of 140 degrees.
At this time, you should boil the eggs and prepare the brine:

1.5 cups of water and vinegar and a spoonful of pickling spices are brought to a boil;
then add 1 crushed clove of garlic, 1 bay leaf;
Reduce the heat and cook the brine for 10 minutes.

Peeled eggs are placed in sterilized jars, brine is added and the jars are tightly sealed with lids.
Pickled eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Other ways to store chicken eggs

There are several interesting ways to store eggs without refrigeration. All of them have been tested over the years and the experience of many housewives, and you can also safely take note of them.

Grease the eggs and then place them in the box with the oats, pointed ends facing down. In this case, the eggs should not touch each other. Chicken eggs should be covered with a good layer of oats on top.
You can coat the shell with egg white. The protein is applied in two layers. Moreover, each layer dries well. Next, the eggs are wrapped in paper and sent for long-term storage in a dark place.
For long-term storage, each egg should be greased with a mixture of melted paraffin or wax with sunflower oil.
You can store eggs in a solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate). To do this, prepare a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate and place chicken eggs in it for a few seconds. After this, dry them. Eggs treated with a solution of potassium permanganate can be stored in an apartment for 2-3 weeks.
It is possible to store fresh eggs at room temperature in a mixture of charcoal and bran.
In rural areas, sweet water is often used to store chicken eggs. Dilute 2 kg of sugar in 2 liters. Boil the syrup and wait until the sand is completely dissolved. When the syrup becomes warm, dip the testicles in it for 2-3 seconds, then dry them with a paper towel and place them in a box.
For storage, chicken eggs should be lubricated with glycerin or Vaseline ointment. Then the eggs should be placed in a box and placed in a cool and ventilated room.
To store eggs at home, you can use regular table salt. To do this, place the eggs loosely in the box and carefully sprinkle with coarse salt.
In villages, eggs are prepared for storage in this way: they are put into a bag and sharply immersed in a vat of boiling water, and then dried and sent to a cold, dark place. Eggs should be laid with their sharp tips facing down.
You can store eggs in a solution of liquid glass or lime. Moreover, if you dip each egg in melted paraffin before pouring the solution, then you can safely store such eggs for quite a long time - for 1 year. Liquid lime can be prepared as follows: dilute 0.5-0.6 kg of quicklime in 10 liters of boiled water. Let the solution sit. In this case, the solution should be thoroughly mixed every 3 hours. Then you need to strain it through a sieve or cheesecloth and then lower the eggs into it. If you like this storage method, please note that you should use only a glass or clay container for the lime mortar, and only send fresh eggs for storage. Also make sure that the level of lime is 2-3 cm above the level of the eggs. After this, the container with lime and eggs should be closed with a lid and the edges sealed with paraffin. Eggs should be stored in this form in a dry and cool place.

Storage conditions

Many products are very easy to identify for spoilage: the presence of mold or an unpleasant odor immediately alerts the housewife, which allows you to get rid of missing products in a timely manner and prevent food poisoning in the family.
However, it is quite difficult to tell by the appearance of an egg whether it is fresh or spoiled. When buying eggs in a store, you must always pay attention to the date of their packaging.

Immediately after the eggs are delivered from the store to your apartment, you should put them in the refrigerator.
Eggs that are planned to be stored for a long time do not need to be placed in special cells on the refrigerator door, since in this place they are constantly in contact with warm air that enters the refrigerator when the door is opened. The best option for storing eggs “in reserve” is a box designed for vegetables and fruits. This is explained by the fact that the box has the lowest temperature and humid air.
The optimal temperature for storing this product is no more than 2 degrees above zero.
Sometimes the question arises: where can you store eggs other than the refrigerator? In the case when you need to store a very large number of eggs, for which there is not enough space in the refrigerator, they can be placed in the basement, the temperature in which should not be higher than 10 degrees.
Eggs have a rather fragile shell, which is why they are often damaged. It happens that a housewife, having bought this product in a store, upon arriving home discovers that some of the eggs have been crushed in the bag. Usually they are poured into a cup or glass and placed in the refrigerator.

How long can a broken egg be stored in the refrigerator? This product should be consumed within two days. But if there are a lot of broken eggs, and you don’t plan to cook anything from them in the near future, then you should pour them into a plastic container and place them in the freezer. Frozen eggs can be stored for several months.

And this immediately begs the question: is it possible to store eggs without refrigeration for a longer time? We will find the answer from our ancestors, who came up with a way to preserve these poultry products from 2 to 12 months.

The first method is quite simple and very effective. Lubricate each egg with paraffin, melted fat or butter, then place them carefully in a box or basin, sprinkling them in layers with salt or grain.

Then we send the filled container to the cellar or basement, where at a temperature of 15°C, poultry products can be stored for up to 6 months.

Storage in fat

In the old days, eggs were also varnished, dried, placed in ceramic pots and filled with melted fat. Such “canned food” could be stored in an underground or cellar for 1 to 2 years.

Storage in lime

Another option for one-year egg storage requires placing bird rudiments in a solution of slaked lime so that it covers the “bookmark” by 2 cm.

Usually such filled pots were kept in glaciers or in the coldest place of the cellar. However, the method was not in great demand, since lime had an extremely negative effect on the taste of proteins.

Due to the presence of amino acids in their composition, which do not allow various harmful microorganisms to multiply, quail eggs have a very long shelf life.

However, this period largely depends on various environmental factors, as well as on temperature conditions.

According to GOST standards of our country, the shelf life of quail eggs is:

30 days when stored at room temperature;
60 days if kept in the refrigerator.

But in fact, they can be stored for a longer time. Moreover, being in the right conditions, such a product can fully retain its properties throughout its shelf life. However, for this, the correct temperature must be selected and the quail eggs must be properly processed.

Poultry products that have undergone heat treatment may not spoil in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, if we are talking about hard-boiled eggs. Soft-boiled eggs spoil more quickly, and the culprit is the yolk, which can be stored much shorter than the white. Easter eggs and krashenki can be consumed throughout the week, even if they are just lying in a cool room, because thanks to the protective layer of paint and vegetable oil, which is used to add shine to the painted shell, such a product does not spoil longer.

Cooking method	Shelf life
Hard-boiled	14-20 days
Soft-boiled	2-3 days
Easter	18-24 days

In order for boiled eggs to remain fresh and edible for as long as possible, they must be prepared correctly for storage:

Boil hard-boiled for at least 10 minutes.
Cool with cold water, then wipe dry with a napkin.
Place in a clean, dry container or enamel container with a lid and store in the depths of the refrigerator.

First, you need to figure out where in the refrigerator is the optimal place to lay out the eggs. Many people display them in plastic or card trays on the shelf of the opening door. This is strictly not recommended. This area is constantly subject to temperature changes. According to statistics, the temperature in this part is 6-8 °C higher than in the depths of the refrigerator. This regime is unacceptable. The best place is the lower compartment where vegetables, fruits, and herbs are stored.

What spoils eggs?

The shelf life is affected by location.
Eggshells, having a porous surface, quickly absorb the pungent odors of other products. This speeds up the spoilage of the eggs themselves.
Open storage also reduces shelf life. Use egg trays or food containers with lids.
High humidity speeds up spoilage.

To avoid the risk of salmonella, it is recommended to store raw eggs in the refrigerator.

At the same time, it is important to adhere to a number of conditions that will preserve the product in a form suitable for consumption.

Conditions

Be sure to inspect the food you bring home. Only whole, undamaged eggs can be stored. If you find cracks or chips on the shell, use these specimens first. A cracked product (or no shell at all) can be placed in a tightly closed container and used within two days. To keep eggs fresh and edible, follow four conditions.

Storage. Many refrigerators have egg trays located on the doors. This is where poultry products are often placed. However, you shouldn't do this. The product should be stored on a shelf located near the freezer. Only it marks the required temperature of 3-4°C. In addition, opening the refrigerator provides a sharp supply of warm air to the products located on the doors. For eggs, such changes are fraught with rapid spoilage.
Appearance. Sometimes in a store or at a market they sell dirty eggs. When I get home I just want to clean them thoroughly. But you shouldn't do that. After all, washed eggs are stored in the refrigerator for only 12 days. And unwashed ones can lie for about a month. However, you still need to wash the product. But they do this right before they are going to cook something from them.
Correct position. It is better to store eggs in special containers. Fold into cells with the blunt end facing up. The secret is simple. There is a layer of air near the wide base. And if this air “cushion” is on top, then the product can “breathe”. Consequently, its shelf life is extended. In addition, if there are bacteria inside it, they will be localized precisely in this layer and will not affect the protein.
Special tray. Eggs are able to quickly absorb foreign odors. To protect against this, it is recommended to place food in special trays with a closing lid.

Sometimes you may come across a recommendation to freeze an egg. This method is quite possible. It is recommended to remove the shell, and pack the product in a tight bag and put it in the freezer. The shelf life immediately increases to ten months.

It’s not just chicken eggs that are in demand in cooking. Quails are very popular. To prepare some dishes, it is recommended to use duck or goose. And experts say that an ostrich egg is no worse than a chicken egg, and in some properties even surpasses it. From the following table you can find out how the deadlines differ for different types.

Table - Shelf life of raw eggs

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Product type and category	Refrigerated storage, days
Chicken diet	7
Chicken table	21
Homemade chicken	28
Duck	14
Quail	60
Guinea fowl	180
Ostrich	90
Gusinoye	14
Indyushinoye	21

How long boiled eggs can be stored depends on a number of reasons. Firstly, initially you should use only a fresh product (no more than 35 days from the time of birth). It is possible to understand the freshness of an egg after boiling. When the shell is difficult to separate from the protein, this is an indicator of freshness.

The integrity of the shell is also very important. If it is cracked or has areas with frozen protein leaking out during the boiling process, it will be much less possible to store such a product. To prevent this from happening, you need to select high-quality eggs for cooking, with a clean surface and without cracks or dents in the shell.

If they were previously on the refrigerator shelf, you need to give them the opportunity to remain at room temperature for about 20 minutes before cooking. It is known that cracks are caused by a sharp temperature contrast. The same effect should be expected if hot eggs are placed directly from boiling water into a container of cold water.

First of all, the shelf life of eggs in their shell depends on the method and time of their boiling.

The soft-boiled egg is cooked for 1.5-3 minutes. This is the shortest cycle for preparing an egg; therefore, such a product should be consumed on the first day or cooled and stored in the refrigerator for 2 days. Outside the refrigeration chamber, a soft-boiled egg (unpeeled, of course) can last up to 20 hours at a temperature no higher than 18-20 degrees.
The egg “in the bag” takes about 4 minutes to cook. The sales conditions are the same as for soft-boiled eggs.
Hard boiled egg. The cooking time in this case is 8-12 minutes. During this time, harmful bacteria die, and the product can remain in the refrigerator for quite a long time (up to 2 weeks). In a cool room, boiled eggs will remain fresh for only a couple of days, and in a very warm room - up to 12 hours. You should not keep eggs on the door: due to the opening and closing of the refrigerator door, a temperature difference occurs, which significantly reduces the shelf life of the product.

How to store Easter eggs

Beautifully colored Easter eggs are essentially just hard-boiled eggs. You described in detail how to store them above. The only thing I would like to point out is that throwing away Easter eggs is not recommended. So make as much as you can eat. It’s better to finish a few paints in a couple of days than to throw the extra ones in the trash.