- Hard-boiled eggs are a great snack between meals. Of course, you want to make sure you're prepping and preserving them correctly. (This is a great tip for Easter time, when many people have hard-boiled eggs by the dozen. NOTE: The USDA does not recommend eating Easter Eggs after hiding or playing with them.)*
Keeping Hard-Boiled Eggs Fresh
You want to start with a great hard-boiled egg from the get-go. The perfect egg has no green ring around the yolk and tends to have a creamy consistency in the middle. For maximum freshness, leave them in their shells until you’re ready to eat or prepare. The shell will help to protect the egg from bacteria, and can help prevent them from absorbing odors from other foods in your refrigerator.
For best results, we recommend keeping your unshelled hard-boiled eggs in a plastic or glass bowl, sealed airtight with a sheet of Glad™ Press’N Seal® Cling Film. As a rule of thumb, hard-boiled eggs can be preserved up to 7 days in the refrigerator.1
"If you follow the proper precautions, they should stay fresh for up to 7 days in the fridge."
The Best Place to Store Hard-Boiled Eggs
It is not safe to keep hard-boiled eggs at room temperature for long, and refrigeration is necessary if they will not be consumed within a few hours. If taking to a picnic or packing in a lunch, be sure to keep the eggs in a cool place. It doesn’t matter if they are peeled or unpeeled, but it would be helpful to put the eggs in a bag and label it in order of the day you boiled them to make sure you know when they will spoil. Always make sure to dispose of hard-boiled eggs once they have been left out for too long.
Once they are cooked, they’ll last for about one week regardless of the storage method. If the eggs have already been peeled, keep them moist by covering them on bottom and top with a damp paper towel before placing them in the container.
How to Store Hard-Boiled Eggs in the Freezer?
Another storage option for hard-boiled eggs is to freeze them and keep the cooked yolks. If you freeze the entire egg, the whites will become tough and inedible. Storing the yolks will allow them to be used as a fun and tasty garnish on many different dishes.2
How to Thaw Frozen Hard-Boiled Eggs?
To thaw hard-boiled egg yolks, just move them from the freezer to the fridge overnight.
How Long Can Hard-Boiled Eggs Sit Out For?
Hard-boiled eggs should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours. After that, bacteria can grow quickly.1
How Long are Fresh Eggs Good for After Sell By Date?
According to the USDA, eggs may be refrigerated three to five weeks from the day they are placed in the refrigerator. The "Sell-By" date will usually expire during that length of time, but the eggs will be perfectly safe to use.1
How to Tell If Hard Boiled Eggs Are Spoiled & How to Dispose
An unpleasant sulfuric odor or “off” taste is a good indication that eggs may be unsafe. You can dispose of cooked eggs directly in the trash, but you can also compost, according to your local guidelines. For your home compost pile, consider using Glad™ Compostable Bags and burying them in the pile to avoid attracting pests.
How to Store Deviled Eggs & How Long Do They Last?
Leftover deviled eggs should be transferred to a container, covered with Glad™ Press’N Seal® Cling Film and stored within two hours. While some say they can be kept in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, check the USDA website for guidelines.
For safe egg storage guidelines, reference the USDA website.
